China has executed eleven individuals connected to a powerful criminal syndicate that ran large-scale scam and gambling operations based in northern Myanmar, state media confirmed Thursday. The move is part of China’s intensified crackdown on transnational fraud networks that have exploited lawless regions of Southeast Asia for years.
The executed individuals, including key members of the notorious Ming family criminal group, were sentenced to death by the Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in September 2025. They were convicted of charges including intentional homicide, intentional injury, unlawful detention, fraud, and running illegal gambling dens. The Supreme People’s Court later upheld the sentences after appeals were rejected. According to official reports, the group’s operations caused the deaths of fourteen Chinese citizens and generated more than one billion dollars in illegal gains over several years.
These criminal enterprises operated in Myanmar’s remote border regions, particularly around Kokang and Laukkaing, where weak governance and ongoing conflict provided fertile ground for scam compounds. The facilities employed a mix of willing and trafficked workers, often forcing people to participate in telecom fraud, online romance scams, investment scams, and illegal betting schemes targeting victims across the globe. Experts note that such scam operations are part of a multibillion-dollar illicit industry spanning Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. Tens of thousands of people have been repatriated to China, and regional authorities have conducted raids on notorious complexes along the Thai border.
China’s enforcement action reflects growing domestic pressure to protect its citizens and demonstrates Beijing’s commitment to dismantling transnational crime networks. The Chinese government has been coordinating with regional partners, including Myanmar and Thailand, to shut down scam centers and repatriate suspects. Myanmar’s military government has occasionally claimed to combat these operations, but observers argue that efforts have often been symbolic and limited in impact. The crackdown has intensified after rising media attention and complaints from victims’ families revealed the scale of abuse and exploitation.
Chinese authorities have emphasised that the executions send a strong message against organized crime and fraud, though human rights advocates and analysts are likely to scrutinize the use of capital punishment. Meanwhile, international authorities continue to explore strategies to combat cross-border scam networks that affect victims worldwide.
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