A court in China’s southwestern Yunnan province has sentenced 16 members of a cross-border family criminal gang to death for their involvement in a massive telecom and cyber scam operation. The Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court said on Monday that the individuals, who were linked to criminal syndicates in neighboring Myanmar, guilty of a range of serious offenses, including fraud, human trafficking, setting up casinos, drug trafficking, organizing prostitution and illegal detention.

The court said the group had killed 14 people, including 10 involved in fraud who had tried to escape from the group or disobeyed its management.

It also cited one incident in October 2023, when the accused “opened fire” on people at a scam compound to prevent them from being transferred back to China.

The group’s criminal activities helped them make more than 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), the court said in a statement posted on social media.

Five of those sentenced to death were granted a two-year reprieve, while another 23 suspects were given prison sentences ranging from five years to life.

According to Chinese State Media, the scam centers in Myanmar often lure and hold victims against their will, forcing them to participate in online fraud.

The Chinese government has been working closely with Myanmar authorities to repatriate and prosecute those involved in the scams. The death sentences underscore the seriousness with which Beijing views the issue and its commitment to dismantling the criminal networks operating in the region.