TechFlow news, the Ministry of Public Security held a press conference in Beijing on October 25 to brief on the achievements of its special operation against fraud related to unlocking ethnic assets. Since the launch of the campaign in February this year, a total of 574 related cases have been solved nationwide, 247 criminal gangs dismantled, 4,385 suspects arrested, and illicit funds amounting to 12.95 billion yuan involved.
Zhou Qiancheng, Chief of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Ningbo Municipal Public Security Bureau in Zhejiang Province, introduced that at the beginning of this year, local authorities discovered residents in Ningbo participating in a fraud scheme called the "China International Plum Blossom Association," which falls under the category of ethnic asset unlocking scams. The Ningbo Public Security Bureau promptly established a special task force. After three rounds of coordinated operations in Liaoning, Guangdong, and Guangxi, they arrested 212 suspects involved in various stages of the criminal chain, including masterminds, fraud groups, and money laundering black- and gray-market operations.
Investigations revealed that since July 2022, suspect Guo Mou had recruited individuals including Cheng Mou, Zhang Mou, and Meng Mou, forged official documents of state organs, and established an illegal organization named the "China International Plum Blossom Association." They fabricated a fraudulent project known as the "Zhou Haiqing Elderly Pension Fund" related to ethnic asset unlocking. Using online social platforms, they recruited members and formed teams, adopting a hierarchical management structure. Promising high-return pension benefits, they attracted participants from across the country and collected payments under various pretexts such as "membership fees," "venue fees," "document processing fees," and "personal income tax." Proceeds were laundered through cryptocurrencies to conceal and transfer illicit gains. To date, over 58 million yuan in涉案 funds have been identified. The case is still under further investigation.
