97 telecom fraud suspects repatriated from Malaysia

Chinese telecom fraud suspects are escorted off an aircraft by the police at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, April 30, 2016. A total of 97 Chinese telecom fraud suspects, including 32 Taiwanese, were sent back from Malaysia under the escort of Chinese police on Saturday. The suspects are involved in more than 100 major transnational telecom frauds related to over 20 provincial areas in Chinese mainland. [Photo/Xinhua]

GUANGZHOU - Malaysian police repatriated 97 telecom fraud suspects, including 32 from Taiwan, to the Chinese mainland on Saturday.

In late March, Malaysian and Chinese mainland police cooperated in an investigation into five transnational telecommunication fraud cases involving victims from across the mainland, and arrested a total of 117 Chinese suspects, including 65 from the mainland, 52 from Taiwan.

Among the 52 from Taiwan, 20 were transferred to Taiwan authorities by Malaysian police on April 15.

The Chinese government requested Malaysia to transfer the rest of the suspects to the mainland as all the victims of the fraud trap are mainland residents.

The mainland has invited Taiwan police to cooperate in handling the case, according to the Ministry of Public Security.