The Ministry of Public Security said on Thursday night that Ming Xuechang, the leading suspect in an alleged telecom fraud criminal group in northern Myanmar's Kokang region who was wanted by China's public security authorities, had taken his own life for fear of punishment.

The Myanmar Consulate General in Kunming, Yunnan province, conveyed to the Chinese authorities that Ming had committed suicide on Wednesday night while the Myanmar authorities were organizing a takedown against him, said the ministry.

On Sunday, the Wenzhou Public Security Bureau in Zhejiang province issued a reward for the capture of four key members of the alleged telecom fraud group in the Kokang region, including Ming Xuechang, Ming Guoping, Ming Julan, and Ming Zhenzhen.

With cooperation from various parties in Myanmar and China's law enforcement agencies, Ming Guoping, Ming Julan, and Ming Zhenzhen were successfully apprehended and handed over to the Chinese authorities on Thursday.