Zambia Court Hands Stiff Prison Terms For Chinese Cybercrime Gangsters

Lengthy jail terms have been handed to 22 Chinese citizens—and a Cameroonian man—for cyber-related crimes in Zambia, Natasha Booty and Wycliffe Muia reported for BBC News.

The perpetrators pleaded guilty to computer-related misrepresentation, identity-related crimes, and illegally operating a network or service.

The gang's only female convict, Gu Tianjiao, reportedly cried "papa, papa" as her seven-year sentence was announced in the Lusaka Magistrates Court on Friday. Some in the gang—including its mastermind Li Xianlin—received up to 11 years in prison.

The group's members were also fined between $1,500 and $3,000 (£1,180 and £2,360) each.

Victims as far afield as Singapore, Peru, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) fell prey to their online scams, say Zambian authorities.

After a trial lasting several weeks, the perpetrators pleaded guilty to three charges: computer-related misrepresentation, identity-related crimes, and illegally operating a network or service.

The 22 people jailed on Friday were among a bigger group of 77 suspects arrested in April in connection with what authorities called a "sophisticated internet fraud syndicate."