Chinese teen sells lovestruck boyfriend to Myanmar fraud ring
What's the story
A 19-year-old Chinese man, Huang, was sold by his 17-year-old girlfriend to a scam ring in Myanmar. The girl, surnamed Zhou, allegedly sold him for 100,000 yuan (approximately $14,000). After being held captive for nearly four months and suffering frequent beatings that left him deaf, Huang was released at the end of June. His family paid a ransom of 350,000 yuan ($48,000) for his freedom.
Modus operandi
How it unfolded
Huang met his girlfriend, whose surname is Zhou, at a billiards room in Guangzhou, southern Guangdong province, in October of last year. Huang fell in love with her before moving into her rented apartment. Zhou mentioned that she was from southeastern Fujian province and that her parents had investments throughout the country. Since Huang was unemployed, Zhou persuaded him to find a job in Myanmar, where she said her family also operated some business.
Ordeal
Huang's terrible experience
Once in Myanmar, Huang's phone and passport were confiscated by an armed man. He stated that he was taken to a compound called Kaixuan in Myanmar, where his head was shaved and he was trained to carry out telecom fraud schemes. He had to work for 16 to 20 hours a day. But because he couldn't swindle any victims, the managers often hit him with an iron stick and smacked his ears, making him go deaf.
Legal proceedings
Case against Zhou
The case against Zhou will now be heard in a court in China. The case garnered widespread attention on social media in China as Huang's sister shared her brother's plight online, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported. "My brother, who was lovestruck, was completely brainwashed by his girlfriend," Huang's sister said. "This girl is only 17. Who could imagine she would do such evil things?"