129 on trial for telecom fraud in E China

A total of 129 telecom swindling suspects stood trial on Thursday in east China's Jiangsu Province, highlighting the country's latest efforts to crack down on transnational fraud cases.

The large fraud ring is accused of cheating victims in 30 Chinese provinces or regions out of 73 million yuan (11.8 million U.S. dollars), according to the Suzhou Intermediate People's Court.

The suspects stood trial in four courts in Suzhou City.

The fraud mainly happened in 2011 and 2012. The suspects are accused of carrying out the criminal behavior from six countries including Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia in addition to the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

They claimed to be staff of Chinese courts, procuratorates, police or postal authorities and made telephone calls from overseas to domestic victims, cheating them out of cash.

Telecom-based fraud is a growing type of crime in which suspects cheat people through the use of telecommunication channels. In recent years, Chinese police have busted several big transnational telecom fraud gangs.