China Executes 11 in Crackdown on ‘Scam Kingpins’
China has executed 11 members of the Ming family, a crime syndicate convicted last September of crimes including homicide and drug trafficking. Dozens of other family members received long prison sentences for their roles in running scams, illegal gambling operations, and other criminal activities in Myanmar near the Chinese border.
According to the BBC, these are the first executions linked to Myanmar-based scam operations, with additional sentences expected. Earlier, five members of the Bai family, another syndicate operating in Laukkai, were sentenced to death in November. Members of the Wei and Liu families are still facing trial.
The Ming family’s criminal enterprise, based in Laukkai—a town on the China-Myanmar border—reportedly generated over $1.4 billion through gambling and scam centers. Chinese state media said the syndicate was involved in drug trafficking, illegal casinos, telecommunications fraud, and prostitution. CNN described the family as “scam kingpins,” one of four mafia-style clans operating in Myanmar.
The United Nations has called Laukkai a hotspot for online fraud, with thousands of individuals trafficked or forced into scam operations, often involving romance scams targeting victims worldwide. The court noted that the family was responsible for deaths of workers, including incidents where staff were shot to prevent escape.
Monday’s ruling in Wenzhou included 11 death sentences, five additional suspended death sentences, 11 life sentences, and various other prison terms.
Myanmar authorities began cracking down on these syndicates in 2023, extraditing many members to China. At its height, the Ming family compound reportedly held as many as 10,000 workers and was notorious for violence and torture. Following shifts in local power in Shan State, and under pressure from Beijing, authorities in neighboring countries have also targeted similar crime operations, though some have relocated to Cambodia as enforcement increases.
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