International Chinese scammers reap long prison sentences as female convict cries for Papa
AN UNSCRIPTED emotional drama unfolded at the Lusaka Magistrates Court yesterday as a female Chinese convicted for internet fraud wailed in anguish and apparent while clasping on criminal her Boss who also going to jail along with 20 of his male compatriots for the same crime.
As the only woman of the gang, a seven year jail term pronounced on Gu Tianjiao yesterday not only ends her freedom but also separates her from partners in crime, thousands of kilometres away from home.
“Papa, Papa, Papa,” wailed Gu Tianjiao as her Boss master Li Xianlin made his way to Kasalanga with a running engine to start his own jail stay of 11 years.
The two are among the 21 Chinese nationals and a Cameroonian who in real life imitated the money hungry scammers in the movie ‘The Bee Keeper’ and wiped clean the accounts of people and wage earners through internet fraud.
Li Xianlin imported 20 Chinese and a Cameroonian as his employees and enhanced his work force by employing 55 Zambians as call center agents to scam the masses under the umbrella of Golden Top Support Services Limited.
Youthful Zambians had an easy way out of the fraudulent syndicate, as they by the DEC a condition that they assist with investigations.
The convicts are identified as Li Xianlin Enxnin Bai, Gu Tianjiao , Jia Ye, Ding Wenyu, Shi Feng, Zhao Di, He Qiu, Yang Yingming, Zhou Lin, He Binhua, Yang Chuan, Sun Pan, Li Wenquiang, Tang Wei, Luo Zhiwen, Hu Dawei, Wang Jiding, Hou Jing, Dai Bing Deng Hu and Emmanuel Tangi Fogwe.
They were charged with Computer related misrepresentation, identity related crime, and operating a network without a license.
Not only did the International scammers steal from Zambians by duping them to send their mobile money details so that they could be beneficiaries of ‘impiya shabalanda, impiya sha CDF and Impiya sha debt restructuring’ , people from Singapore, Peru, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also fell victim in the internet fraud.
When taken to Court the 22 readily pleaded guilty to the crimes they committed, before Principal resident magistrate Sylvia Munyinya.
Facts are that the DEC and ZICTA pounced on the accused’s premises in Kalundu area after being tipped by members of the public who saw employees frequenting the place which had no proper business definition.
During the search 135 personal computers, 1 laptop, a Toyota Alphard registration number BAT 8373, 37000 SIM cards (both Local and International), one iPad, two pistols with 73 rounds of ammunition, MW 13, 143.00, $ 20.00 and 17,000 Dinars cash, 23 cell phones and 11 SIM boxes were recovered and seized.
Investigations revealed that the convicts faked other people’s identities using a version of WhatsApp web which allows for the creation of multiple WhatsApp accounts on one device.
The mobile numbers used in creating fake identities were not registered in the convicts’ names or under the names of Golden Top Limited’s employees but were registered under other people’s names and when some of the people whose identities were used were contacted, expressed ignorance over the registration and existence of those mobile numbers under their identities.
The 22 falsified data with intentions that it may be acted upon as if it were authentic by unsuspecting members of the public.
Chats were initiated using a script file called
“Script.txt” which contained specific information that was to be shared with the targeted victims. The convicts would purport to be employees of multinational entities such as Google, Gemini and acting in these falsified capacities, they would assign their victims tasks of marketing places on google location.
At the completion of the said tasks, the victims were be lured to Telegram, to get their payment for the task.
The inputs on the fake proof of payment documents were electronically created using Photoshop to lure unsuspecting members of the public into thinking that the investments were genuine and would also invest in order to generate interest on their investment.
The mobile network operated by the convicts without the requisite licences from the Zambia Information and Communication Telecommunications Authority (ZICTA) had specific sim cards which were used to bypass and divert calls from established and licensed mobile network operators and terminating their calls for financial gain.
Li Xianlin and his fellow fraudsters confirmed to the truthfulness of the fact and were subsequently convicted by the Court.
In mitigation lawyer representing the Chinese Douglas Njolomba asked the Court to exercise leniency in meting out punishment and consider imposing a fine.
Timmy Munalula who is representing the Cameroonian Emmanuel Tangi Fogwe asked the court to impose any fine without exceeding the penalty units.
He said his client was youthful and capable of amending his ways when given a second chance.
In judgement magistrate Munyinya said computer related offenses were on the rise and innocent citizens have been scammed of their hard earned income due to scamming activities using computer systems.
She said she had taken into consideration that the punishment for the offenses committed was a fine but there is need to mete out harsh sentences to deter would be offenders.
“Considering the nature of the offenses committed, imprisonment is justified,” the magistrate said.
Magistrate Munyinya assumed the role of ‘The Beekeeper’ in order to ‘protect the hive’ and imposed custodial sentences on the convicts.
She fined the leader Li Xianlin K30,000 for computer related misrepresentation in default nine months imprisonment. In addition to the fine she sentenced him to four years imprisonment with hard labor.
His employees were jailed for four years with hard labor for computer related misrepresentation, except the female whose imprisonment will be simple.
For identity related crime all the 22 were fined K40, 000 each to be paid there and then in default nine months imprisonment. They were also sentenced to three years imprisonment with hard labor and simple imprisonment for the female.
In the last Count Li Xianlin was fined K50, 000 for operating a network without a license in default nine months imprisonment. He was also slapped with a jail term of four years.
Magistrate Munyinya said the sentences will run consecutively with effect from the date of arrest on April 5, 2024.
After the jailing Gu Tianjiao cried uncontrollably like a baby and stomped her feet upon learning that she would spend seven lonely years behind bars, while her partners in crime were a in a group.
Li Xianlin had to give the 30 year-old who shouted “papa, papa, papa”, a bear hug to comfort her whilst assuring her that things would be okay.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba June 8, 2024.
