Long prison sentences have been imposed on 22 Chinese citizens – and one Cameroonian – for cyber crimes in Zambia.
The only convicted woman in the gang, Gu Tianjiao, reportedly shouted “daddy, daddy” as his seven-year sentence was announced in the Lusaka Magistrates Court on Friday.
Some members of the gang – including their mentor, Li Xianlin – were sentenced to up to 11 years in prison.
Members of the group were also fined between $1,500 and $3,000 (£1,180 and £2,360) each.
Victims as far away as Singapore, Peru and the United Arab Emirates have fallen victim to online fraud, Zambian authorities say.
After a trial that lasted several weeks, the perpetrators pleaded guilty to three charges – computer-related false statements, identity-related crimes, and illegal operation of a network or service.
The 22 people arrested on Friday were among a larger group of 77 suspects arrested in April in connection with what authorities called a “sophisticated Internet fraud syndicate.”
The attack on a Chinese company in the capital, Lusaka, followed an alarming rise in internet fraud cases in the country, targeting people in countries across the world.
A growing number of Zambians are losing money from their mobile and bank accounts through money laundering schemes that are spreading to other foreign countries, the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) said in April.
Dozens of young Zambians were also arrested after they were allegedly recruited to be call center agents in fraudulent activities, including internet fraud and online scams, the DEC said during the arrests.
The 22 people sentenced in Lusaka on Friday held different positions at Golden Top Support Services, a Chinese company at the center of the operation.
The company, located in Roma, an upscale suburb of Lusaka, has not yet commented on the allegations.
The Zambian citizens were charged in April and released on bail so they could help authorities with their investigations.
Authorities said the Zambians involved were tasked with “engaging in deceptive conversations with unsuspecting mobile users on various platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, chat rooms and others using programmed dialogues.”
Among the equipment seized were devices that allowed callers to disguise their location and thousands of SIM cards.
During the hack, 11 Sim boxes were discovered – these are devices that can route calls through genuine telephone networks.
More than 13 thousand Sim cards, national and foreign, were also confiscated, demonstrating “the scope of the operation”, according to the DEC.
Two firearms and around 78 ammunition were confiscated and two vehicles, belonging to a Chinese citizen linked to the business, were also seized during the operation.
More about cybercrime in Africa:
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfricaon Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
