An alleged Myanmar crime boss and members of his syndicate were put on trial this week in the latest stage of Beijing’s sweeping crackdown on cross-border scam networks.

Wei Huairen, also known as Wai San, faces charges including fraud, murder, extortion and organising illegal border crossings, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday.

Prosecutors allege that from 2019 onwards, the syndicate used the Wei family’s military and political influence in Myanmar’s Kokang region to operate multiple scam compounds that defrauded victims in China of more than 24 billion yuan (US$3.5 billion). Two Chinese citizens are also alleged to have been killed.

The syndicate is also said to have offered armed protection to “investors” who ran telecoms fraud operations from these compounds, according to the report.

Prosecutors also allege that Chen Dawei, Wei’s nephew, was involved in the two murders, among other crimes. Three other suspects, Liao Jingfang, Kang Min and Xiong Hengxing, have also been charged with a range of offences.

The trial at Quanzhou Intermediate People’s Court in the southeastern province of Fujian ran from Tuesday to Friday. The court has now adjourned and it is not known when it will deliver its verdicts.

The case is one of Beijing’s last efforts to dismantle the criminal empires that once operated with near-total impunity along the Myanmar border.