A court in China has handed down death sentences to eleven members of a notorious, family-run criminal syndicate that operated out of northern Myanmar.
The convictions come as part of a major crackdown on cross-border telecom fraud, illegal gambling, and other violent crimes that have targeted Chinese citizens.
The Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Zhejiang province found the defendants guilty of a range of serious offenses, including large-scale fraud, intentional killing, intentional injury, and running illegal casino operations.
The powerful Ming family-run criminal syndicate was found to have used armed force to establish and protect multiple scam compounds in the Kokang region of Myanmar, which borders China.
Since 2015, the syndicate collaborated with other gangs and financial backers to orchestrate sophisticated telecom and investment scams, engage in drug trafficking, and organize prostitution.
The court stated that the group’s criminal activities led directly to the deaths of at least 14 Chinese nationals and injuries to six others.
The total proceeds generated from their illegal gambling and fraud operations were estimated to exceed 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion).
In addition to the eleven death sentences for the ringleaders, five other members received death sentences with a two-year reprieve, which is often commuted to life imprisonment.
Eleven more were given life imprisonment, while the remaining defendants received prison terms ranging from five to 24 years.
The case gained significant public attention after Chinese authorities issued wanted notices for the group’s leaders in late 2023.
Following close law enforcement cooperation between China and Myanmar, key members were apprehended and handed over to China to face trial.
This high-profile sentencing highlights Beijing’s intensified efforts to dismantle transnational criminal networks operating in Southeast Asia.
