China has executed 11 members of the Ming family, a powerful organised crime clan accused of running large-scale online scam centres in Myanmar, in what authorities describe as a major escalation in Beijing’s crackdown on cross-border fraud networks.
The executions followed the conviction and sentencing of the family members by a court in Zhejiang Province in September 2025 for multiple offences, including homicide, illegal detention, large-scale fraud, and operating illegal gambling operations.
Rise And Fall Of The Ming Crime Network
The Ming family was one of several influential criminal clans that once controlled Laukkaing, a town in Myanmar’s Shan State, close to the Chinese border. Over the years, the town was transformed from a struggling settlement into a notorious hub for casinos, red-light districts and online scam operations, largely targeting Chinese citizens.
Authorities said the family operated heavily guarded compounds where trafficked individuals were forced to carry out online fraud schemes under harsh and coercive conditions.
The family’s criminal empire collapsed in 2023, when ethnic armed groups seized control of Laukkaing amid intensified fighting with Myanmar’s military. Members of the Ming family were arrested during the takeover and later handed over to Chinese authorities.
Billions In Fraud, Dozens Dead
China’s Supreme People’s Court disclosed that the Ming family’s scam and gambling operations generated more than 10 billion yuan (over ₦2 trillion) between 2015 and 2023.
The crimes were linked to the deaths of at least 14 Chinese citizens, with many others suffering physical harm and psychological trauma.
More than 20 additional members of the family received prison sentences ranging from five years to life imprisonment. The clan’s patriarch, Ming Xuechang, reportedly died by suicide in 2023 while attempting to evade arrest.
Human Trafficking And Regional Impact
According to United Nations estimates, hundreds of thousands of people across South East Asia have been trafficked into scam centres, particularly along border regions of Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.
Thousands of Chinese nationals are believed to be among those forced to participate in fraudulent schemes that defrauded victims of billions of dollars.
Analysts note that while China’s enforcement actions have weakened some networks, scam operations have increasingly shifted to other parts of the region, including areas along Myanmar’s border with Thailand, where Beijing’s influence is more limited.
China’s Growing Pressure On Myanmar
China’s frustration with Myanmar’s military leadership has grown in recent years, amid accusations that authorities either tolerated or benefited from scam operations within their territory.
In late 2023, Beijing quietly backed an offensive by an ethnic insurgent alliance in Shan State, which overran Laukkaing and dismantled several scam compounds previously protected by local powerbrokers.
More Executions Expected
The executed Ming family members are believed to be the first Myanmar-based scam bosses to face capital punishment in China.
Authorities have indicated that more death sentences may follow, with five members of the Bai family already sentenced to death, while trials involving members of the Wei and Liu families are still ongoing.
Chinese state television has also aired confession documentaries from arrested suspects, reinforcing Beijing’s message that organised scam networks will face the harshest penalties under the law.
Global Warning
China’s latest actions signal a tougher stance against transnational cybercrime, human trafficking and organised fraud, crimes that have also affected countries such as Nigeria, where online scams and digital fraud remain a growing security and economic concern.
Despite the executions, experts warn that criminal networks are adapting rapidly, relocating operations and exploiting weak governance in other regions.
