A verdict has been reached on the cybercrime scandal perpetrated by a Chinese gang in the Southern African country of Zambia. In April, 22 Chinese nationals were arrested In connection to a cyber crime ring in Zambia. This arrest resulted in the discovery of a "sophisticated internet fraud syndicate.
According to The Star, the culprits received long prison sentences from the Lusaka Magistrates Court on Friday.
The leader of the crime ring, Li Xianlin, along with some other members received as much as 11 years in prison. Its only female member Gu Tianjiao, who according to reports was audibly distressed during her sentencing, received 7 years.
They were also asked to pay a fine of $1,500 and $3,000 (£1,180 and £2,360) each. The trial had been going on for weeks after which they pled guilty.
In April Zambian authorities, including the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), which led the charge, the police, the immigration department, and the anti-terrorism unit, discovered a large-scale criminal operation following a multi-agency raid on a Chinese-owned business in Roma, an affluent suburb of the capital, Lusaka.
This was following an investigation into the increased rate of cybercrime cases in the country. Subsequently, 77 people were arrested in connection to the case, including a Cameroonian, some Zambians, and 22 Chinese people.
The Zambians connected to the case were indicted in April and freed on bail so they could assist the police with their investigations.
According to the authorities, the Zambians involved had been tasked "with engaging in deceptive conversations with unsuspecting mobile users across various platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, chatrooms, and others, using scripted dialogues".
They noted that the elaborate crime ring hidden under the moniker, Golden Top Support Services, had hired "unsuspecting" Zambians aged 20 to 25.
"The firm used these unsuspecting employees to engage "in deceptive conversations with unsuspecting mobile users across various platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, chatrooms, and others, using scripted dialogues," the director general of the DEC stated.
During the raid, 11 SIM boxes were discovered; these are devices that can route calls across genuine phone networks. These boxes can be used "for fraudulent activities, including internet fraud and online scams", Mr. Banda said.
More than 13,000 SIM cards, both local and foreign, were also confiscated, demonstrating "the extent of the operation's reach," according to the DEC chief.
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