China Executes 11 Members Of Ming Family Crime Gang Over Billion-Dollar Scam

China has executed 11 people linked to notorious online scam centres in Myanmar, as it intensifies its crackdown on frauds targeting its citizens. Another 23 suspects were given prison sentences ranging from five years to life.

Chinese state media reported that the crimes of those executed included "intentional homicide, intentional injury, unlawful detention, fraud and casino establishment".

Beijing has vowed to pursue criminal networks operating in the Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos) that prey on Chinese nationals.

Among the executed were members of the "Ming family criminal group", whose activities had contributed to the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens and injuries to "many others". The Ming Family was a powerful and notorious mafia-like crime syndicate based in northern Myanmar. Historically one of the "four families" that controlled the region's economy and local government, they were central figures in a multi-billion dollar criminal empire.

Although two of the defendants appealed, and the case was taken up by the Supreme People's Court, China's highest court, the original verdict was upheld.

The Supreme People's Court stated that the crimes were "especially vile" in nature, involving particularly grave circumstances and consequences that justified the imposition of the death penalty.

"The criminals' close relatives were allowed to meet with them before the execution," Xinhua reported.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said that China had cooperated with neighbouring Southeast Asian nations, including Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand, to combat cross-border fraud. China Central Television reported that Myanmar authorities have handed over more than 53,000 suspects to China since mid-2023.

In November, Chinese authorities sentenced five people to death for their involvement in scam operations in Myanmar's Kokang region. Their crimes had led to the deaths of six Chinese nationals, according to state media reports.

Fraud operations centred in Myanmar's border regions have extracted billions of dollars from around the world through phone and internet scams.

The UN has estimated that hundreds of thousands of people are working in scam centres globally.