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After years of controlling northern Myanmar through fear, fraud, and violence, one of Asia’s most notorious cross-border crime families has finally fallen. Chinese prosecutors have officially charged the Wei family syndicate, marking the end of the infamous “Four Families” that dominated Kokang’s criminal underworld for more than a decade.
On October 9, the Quanzhou People’s Procuratorate in Fujian Province announced that legal proceedings had begun against Wei Huairen — also known as Wai San — along with several core members of the Wei clan.
The charges include telecommunications fraud, intentional homicide, organizing illegal border crossings, and extortion. According to The Paper, a Shanghai-based outlet, the case has been submitted to the Quanzhou Intermediate People’s Court.
For nearly 15 years, the Wei family ran a powerful political-military-business empire. Second brother Wei Chaoren secured political clout as a member of Myanmar’s Federal Parliament, while third brother Wai San built military strength through an officially recognized border battalion.
“What made the Wei family unique was their legitimate armed force,” said Qiu Xin, head of Quanzhou’s Criminal Investigation Division. “Other gangs had to fund and arm their own militias, but the Weis had state approval.”
The Rise of Telecom Fraud
The family first expanded through gambling and adult entertainment but soon found even greater profits in telecom scams. Around 2017, as Chinese criminal groups moved into northern Myanmar, the Weis established massive fraud compounds — providing armed security, collecting protection fees, and even “trading” human captives as resources.
Chinese citizens were treated as commodities, with prices for “workers” rising from 20,000 yuan (US$2,806) to over 300,000 yuan (US$42,000). Those who wished to return home were forced to pay ransoms amounting to hundreds of thousands of yuan.
The Ruthlessness of Chen Dawei
The syndicate’s cruelty peaked under Chen Dawei, Wai San’s nephew and chosen heir. During a bizarre “brotherhood” ceremony with a scam park owner, Chen randomly chose a Chinese victim surnamed Ma for human sacrifice.
“After you shot and killed the man, how did you feel?” investigators asked.
“Should I have any feelings?” Chen replied coldly.
When pressed further, he simply said: “I didn’t feel anything.”
▲The police found the body of a Chinese victim.
Sophisticated Scams, Enormous Profits
The Wei syndicate perfected “pig-butchering” schemes — blending fake investment platforms with emotional manipulation. They created large group chats to lure victims, evolving from group scams targeting one victim to single fraudsters managing dozens.
Younger family members crafted fake social media profiles as “entrepreneurs,” promoting phony “blockchain” and “trust fund” projects. Their operations became so refined that individual fraud rings earned hundreds of millions of yuan.
Luxury, Power, and Downfall
The Wei family lived lavishly — flaunting designer brands, sports cars, helicopters, and multimillion-dollar properties. They hosted grand banquets and treated golf outings as casual leisure.
Police estimate that the family’s telecom fraud operations totaled around 6 billion yuan (US$830 million), while their gambling ventures reached about 10 billion yuan (US$1.38 billion) — a combined empire worth over US$2 billion.
With the Wei family’s downfall, China’s campaign against the Kokang criminal syndicates in Myanmar has reached its conclusion. All four of the once-dominant family networks have now been dismantled — bringing long-awaited justice to countless victims.
Source : Shine.cn, The Paper
*The opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author.*
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