IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
Suspects involved in telecom swindle cases are escorted off an aircraft by the police at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Nov 10, 2015. [Xinhua photo]
A total of 254 suspects from the Chinese mainland involved in telecom swindle cases were taken back from Indonesia and Cambodia Tuesday by Chinese police, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
The suspects are involved in more than 4,000 major transnational telecom frauds with victims coming from over 20 Chinese provinces and regions including Hong Kong, the ministry said in a press release.
Aboard four flights from the two countries, the suspects landed in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Guangzhou.
The suspects were repatriated in the first overseas operation since a campaign targeting new types of telecom crime was launched in China last month to combat what is now one of the fastest growing crimes.
On Oct. 19, police from the Chinese mainland, in collaboration with their counterparts from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Indonesia, busted eight telecom scam dens and captured 224 suspects in Indonesia, including 86 from the Chinese mainland and 138 from Taiwan.
On Oct. 31, police from the Chinese mainland and Cambodia destroyed three scam dens, captured 168 suspects, and seized a number of computers, mobile phones and bank cards which had been used to commit the alleged offenses.
The Ministry of Public Security said it is committed to improving law enforcement cooperation with Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and countries around the world in terms of intelligence exchange, investigation and capture of suspects.
"The capability to fight trans-regional and transnational crimes must be enhanced to leave the criminals no place to hide or commit their crimes," the ministry said in a press release.
Suspects are escorted off an aircraft by police at Hangzhou airport in Zhejiang province. Photo: Xinhua
In an unprecedented joint operation, police from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan cracked two overseas-based syndicates operating phone scams and made 431 arrests.
One gang, set up in Indonesia, had allegedly duped Hongkongers out of HK$118 million in 431 cases this year, police sources said. The other syndicate operated in Cambodia and did not target Hong Kong.
Another racket that preys on Hongkongers is still believed to be operating in the Philippines.
"It will be our next target," said a source close to the operation.
Intelligence indicated all three gangs were headed by people from Taiwan.
Fraud suspects arrested in Indonesia and Cambodia arrive back on the mainland. Others were caught in Guangdong. Photos: SCMP Pictures
The operation was coordinated by the mainland's Ministry of Public Security and involved officers working with their counterparts in regional countries. It came to light when 254 mainland suspects arrested in Indonesia and Cambodia last month were sent back to Beijing, Hangzhou , Shanghai and Guangzhou on chartered flights yesterday.
Xinhua said the Indonesia-based syndicate involved more than 3,000 reports of telephone scams in Hong Kong and the mainland.
Veteran soprano Li Yuanrong, 73, who was duped out of more than HK$20 million in Hong Kong, was one of the victims.
Calling it the "biggest and most sophisticated telephone deception syndicate", the source said the gang set up its base in Indonesia, where 224 people from the mainland and Taiwan were arrested on October 19.
Guangdong police picked up a further 39 suspects.
Police from Hong Kong, the mainland and Taiwan are understood to have gone to Indonesia last month ahead of a series of raids on eight locations. But none of the victims' money had been recovered and no Hong Kong residents were arrested.
A policeman examines evidence collected in the case. Photo: Xinhua
"The victims deposited money in different mainland bank accounts, which was then transferred to Taiwan," the source said. "Officers lost track of the money after it went to Taiwan. Police are still investigating how the gang laundered the money."
Police said the syndicate recruited mainlanders and Taiwanese to make scam calls from Indonesia. Members were given a script outlining their roles and what to say over the phone.
One call centre was set up in a luxury villa in the Indonesian city of Surabaya. New members were locked up, had their passports confiscated and were barred from using their phones, according to Thepaper.cn a Shanghai-based news website.
"To avoid detection, the internet calls were made through many computer servers located in mainland China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Hong Kong and other Asian places," another source said. He said Hong Kong police were responsible for locating the call centres with overseas help and identifying the syndicate's key figures.
Police in Indonesia with some of the suspects arrested. Photo: SCMP Pictures
Xinhua said the gang in Cambodia was broken up when police raided three locations and arrested 168 people in a joint operation on October 29.
Some suspects portrayed themselves as victims, claiming they "felt pressure every day". They worked from 8am to 5pm and were forced to submit the details of 150 prospective victims each month, mainland police told Thepaper.cn The report said some gang members had been recruited with bogus job offers.
They were the first arrests since the State Council set up an inter-ministry task force in June to crack down on such crime.
In the past 10 months, fraudsters posing as mainland officials have duped Hongkongers out of HK$266 million in 1,255 cases. Victims are typically told they have broken mainland laws and have to prove their willingness to cooperate by transferring money to mainland bank accounts.
