China executes 11 members of Myanmar-based scam mafia family

New Delhi, Jan 29: China has executed 11 members of the Ming family, a mafia clan accused of running large-scale scam centres in Myanmar along China’s north-eastern border, reported by the BBC, quoting state media reports. The family members were sentenced in September by a court in China’s Zhejiang province for crimes including homicide, illegal detention, fraud and operating gambling dens.

Authorities said the Ming family played a central role in transforming the Myanmar border town of Laukkaing into a hub for casinos, online scams, and red-light districts.

The clan’s operations collapsed in 2023 after ethnic militias seized control of Laukkaing during clashes with Myanmar’s military and handed the suspects over to China. Chinese courts said the Ming family’s scam and gambling network generated more than 10 billion yuan between 2015 and 2023 and was linked to the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens. The executions are seen as a strong deterrent message as Beijing steps up efforts to dismantle transnational scam networks. More members of other crime families involved in similar operations have also been sentenced to death or face ongoing trials, state media said.