Recently, a well-known Chinese anti-human trafficking volunteer, “Shangguan Zhengyi,” after 7 months of undercover work, exposed a human trafficking industry chain colluded by domestic and foreign organizations. The organization specializes in smuggling young women from Myanmar into China, who are then sold to intermediaries across various regions in China for around 200,000 yuan each, with the youngest being only 19 years old.
According to reports from Urban Scene, in mid-May of this year, Shangguan Zhengyi contacted a middleman named Cheng from the organization under the pretense of having “intent to purchase.” Upon hearing about the demand for relationships, Cheng mentioned that he happened to have a 19-year-old Myanmar girl who had just arrived in China less than a month ago, and if there was interest, they could arrange a meeting in Shenqiu County, Zhoukou City, Henan Province. Upon receiving the lead, Shangguan Zhengyi and Urban Scene journalists infiltrated the interior of that intermediary together.
Shangguan Zhengyi stated in a Weibo post on May 23 that through seven months of undercover work, he has basically obtained information on the members of the human trafficking organization, the women being trafficked, and the buyers’ identities.
According to Shangguan Zhengyi’s introduction, the organization has been engaged in this business for over 3 years, involving a “shocking number” of women. A key member is a Myanmar national named “Wenwen,” whose husband is Chinese and is responsible for transporting the selected girls to the Myanmar border, where they connect with traffickers who then bring the women into China through the border in Ruili City.
The intermediaries within China include: a Myanmar national named “Baixue” in Laocheng Town, Shenqiu County, Henan Province; a Myanmar national named “Wenkai”; a Chinese woman named Cheng who runs a fast-food restaurant on Baofengsi Road in Liuan City, Anhui Province; a man named Deng who runs a hotel in Liuan City; a man named Weng Weng, who operates a restaurant in Hefei City; and a woman named Xu living in Linhu Nan Yuan, Linchang River Town, Feidong County.
According to information from the intermediary group, it takes about 7 days to smuggle across the border, arriving in Ruili City, then being contacted by “Baixue” for transportation to various places via Ruili City and Kunming. If buyers wish to conduct physical examinations on Myanmar women, Cheng contacts several hospitals within the jurisdiction of Liuan City to arrange examinations with acquaintances there, which require presenting her identity information for the check-up reports.
Currently, the group still has 2 Myanmar women awaiting sale, aged 19 (priced at 230,000 yuan) and 27 (priced at 200,000 yuan, having given birth).
To evade responsibility, the intermediary also requires both buyers and sellers to state in a “receipt” (similar to a contract) that both parties are voluntary, with no coercion involved; consolidating the expenses as “dowry, service fees”; if a Myanmar woman leaves unilaterally for personal reasons, 50% of the fees will be refunded, but if it’s due to the buyer, no refund will be given.
Additionally, the intermediary demands that buyers keep their household registration information confidential, as they will not be responsible should it lead to deportation for inspection. If marriage certificates need to be processed later, the intermediary can provide a way, with the cost borne by the individual.
Shangguan Zhengyi mentioned that on the 23rd, in order to eradicate the group completely, he gathered all the heads of the intermediary group, the women already sold, those yet to be sold, and buyers in the jurisdiction of Liuan, Anhui Province, totaling 14 persons, and reported to the police in Liuan City. He presented written evidence to the Liuan City police, including information on the intermediary group, women already sold, buyers, and various aspects.
According to Urban Scene reporters, on that day, multiple local departments rushed to the scene for investigation, and all 14 persons involved were apprehended on-site.