A 17-year-old girl in China is facing trial after being accused of selling her 19-year-old boyfriend to a telecom fraud compound in Myanmar, according to local media reports.
The case involves a young man surnamed Huang, who was allegedly sold for 100,000 yuan (about US$14,000) earlier this year. Huang was eventually released after his family paid 350,000 yuan (about US$48,000) in ransom, with the help of a Chinese chamber of commerce in Myanmar.
Huang reportedly met his girlfriend, surnamed Zhou, at a billiard hall in Guangzhou in late 2023. The two quickly developed a relationship and began living together. Zhou, who told Huang her family had businesses in Myanmar, persuaded him to travel with her to Thailand in February to seek work.
On February 2, the couple flew to Bangkok. However, when they reached the Thai-Myanmar border, armed men intercepted them, confiscating Huang’s passport and phone. Zhou then allegedly left him behind, after which he was taken to a scam compound.
Inside the compound, Huang said he was forced to work up to 20 hours a day on telecom fraud schemes. Because he struggled to bring in victims, he was repeatedly beaten. Reports say he was struck with iron rods and slapped so hard that his hearing was permanently damaged. He also lost significant weight during his time there.
Huang’s family, who had been alerted to his situation after he managed to send a brief message home, began negotiating for his release. After nearly four months in captivity, he was freed in June.
Zhou, who remained in Thailand for several days after Huang’s capture, was arrested upon returning to China. Her trial was initially set for late July but has since been postponed.
The case has drawn widespread attention on Chinese social media, where many users expressed shock at the betrayal. Huang’s sister described him as being “completely brainwashed” by Zhou and said the family never imagined a teenager could orchestrate something so cruel.
