2016年CRI Telecom Fraud Victims Call for Proper Handling（在线收听）

The issue of telecom scams, and who has jurisdiction, has been brought to the forefront after a total of 77 suspects were arrested last month in Kenya and then sent back to the mainland to face charges.

Among the group is 45 residents of Taiwan.

Mainland authorities say those from Taiwan will be tried according to legal procedures on the mainland, saying that all the suspects from Taiwan have already admitted their guilt.

On Thursday, a delegation from Taiwan arrived at the Beijing detention center holding the suspects, saying they're satisfied with the way they are treated and questioned.

The case has also prompted some of the victims to speak out.

They're calling on authorities in Taiwan to do more to get their money back.

Cheng Xiaosheng is from Tianjin.

The elderly man claims he lost his life savings of around 900-thousand yuan to fraudsters from Taiwan.

He says he is counting on Taiwan authorities to get his money back.

"I call on Taiwan, especially Taiwan's police, to severely punish these criminals and bring them to justice. Also, what's perplexing me is that authorities there can't seem to help us recover our money. If the money can flow into Taiwan, there should be a way to track it. The money is usually the life savings of us victims, accumulated over the years and even decades."

It is estimated that fraud syndicates led by suspects from Taiwan steal an estimated 1.5 billion U.S. dollars from mainland victims every year.

Mainland authorities say only around 32-thousand dollars has ever been recovered from Taiwan.

Li Xiaosheng from Tianjin lost over 9 million yuan in a scam run from Taiwan in 2013.

In attempting to get his money back, Li was told he would have to pursue the case based the island's legal procedures.

However, he says the way his case was handled left a bad taste in his mouth.

"When I found the local prosecutor's office, I was told the suspects had already been released, as the case was still under investigation. I was told it was nearly impossible to recover my money, since I would need to apply for compulsory enforcement measures, which I would have to pay for. The suspects were let loose, as the victims continue to suffer. I'm quite confused and let down by their legal system. Also, they have never actively contacted me regarding the case, I have always dialed long distance to reach them for updates."

Last week, Malaysia deported 20 telecom fraud suspects to Taiwan, rather than to the mainland.

Anger on the mainland erupted after local law enforcement officials in Taiwan released the group, citing a lack of evidence.

18 of the 20 are now facing charges, with authorities in Taiwan saying new evidence has been brought to light.

The other two aren't allowed to leave Taiwan.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.