China Sentences 11 to Death Over Myanmar Scam Empire

A Chinese court has sentenced 11 members of the notorious Ming crime family to death for running a billion-dollar criminal empire based in northern Myanmar. The syndicate, which operated massive online fraud and gambling compounds, was also held responsible for the deaths of trafficked workers who tried to escape.

The ruling came from the Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Zhejiang Province, which described the Ming family as one of Myanmar’s “four families” – powerful mafia-like groups accused of internet fraud, drug trafficking, prostitution, and even holding influence in local government and militias allied with the Myanmar junta.

The Ming Family’s Criminal Empire

The family, led by the late Ming Xuechang, operated out of Kokang’s infamous Crouching Tiger Villa. At its height, the network employed up to 10,000 workers to carry out online scams targeting victims worldwide. Kokang’s capital, Laukkaing, was transformed into a casino hub fueled by scam profits, even as trafficked workers faced abuse, detention, and death.

Chinese investigators linked the group to at least 10 killings of workers who resisted or attempted to flee. In one 2023 incident, four people were shot dead when gang members opened fire during a police raid warning.

China’s Crackdown

Beijing, under growing pressure from families of victims and international reports, launched a sweeping crackdown on cyber fraud in late 2023. Arrest warrants and rewards were issued for members of the Ming family. Shortly after his arrest, patriarch Ming Xuechang reportedly took his own life in custody. His children and granddaughter, who held high-ranking militia and political roles in Kokang, were also detained.

In addition to the 11 death sentences, five others received suspended death sentences and 12 were handed prison terms ranging from five to 24 years.

A Regional Crime Wave

The Ming family’s downfall highlights the scale of Southeast Asia’s scam industry, which drains an estimated $43 billion annually, according to the United States Institute of Peace. Criminal groups have thrived in Myanmar’s lawless borderlands, exploiting corruption and civil war to expand their operations.

China’s push against the syndicates coincided with a major rebel offensive against the Myanmar military in October 2023, an operation analysts believe had Beijing’s quiet approval. Both sides justified the campaign as necessary to dismantle the scam compounds threatening regional security.