China sentences 11 members of notorious Ming crime family to death over Myanmar scams

A Chinese court has sentenced 11 members of the infamous Ming family to death for running vast criminal networks in northern Myanmar that raked in billions through scams, gambling, and drug trafficking.

The verdict, delivered on Monday in the eastern city of Wenzhou, comes after Myanmar authorities arrested dozens of the group’s members in 2023 and handed them over to Beijing.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, a total of 39 family members were convicted. Five others were given death sentences with a two-year reprieve, 11 were jailed for life, and the rest received prison terms ranging from five to 24 years.

The court heard that since 2015, the Ming family had been deeply involved in cross-border crime, including telecommunications fraud, illegal casinos, drug smuggling, and prostitution. Their criminal empire reportedly generated more than 10 billion yuan ($1.4bn; £1bn).

The Ming clan was one of four powerful families that controlled the border town of Laukkaing in Myanmar’s Shan State, transforming it into a haven for illicit businesses. Investigators said the syndicates were processing several billions of dollars each year through gambling operations alone.

The court also ruled that the group bore responsibility for the deaths of scam centre workers, including one chilling incident where employees were shot to prevent them from fleeing back to China.

The case underscores Beijing’s escalating crackdown on cross-border fraud networks, which have exploited thousands of Chinese citizens through elaborate scam centres in Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries.