Wei Qingtao, a prominent figure in a crime family associated with human trafficking, money laundering, and global cyberscams, was notoriously open about his lavish lifestyle. His Douyin account, the Chinese version of TikTok, showcased opulence in a remote area of Myanmar near the China border, featuring Bentleys, Lamborghinis, rare cigars, and private jets.
At 27, Wei hosted extravagant parties at his multistory nightclub in Kokang, where he would toss bundles of Chinese yuan into the crowd while international techno DJs played, arriving via dirt roads.
However, in November, his luxurious lifestyle came to an abrupt end. Wei’s social media presence disappeared, and he later appeared in a different type of video: reading a scripted confession while in custody in China.