China executes Ming family mafia members
China has executed 11 members of the notorious Ming family, who ran scam operations and gambling dens in Myanmar, state media report. The family was sentenced in September for crimes including homicide, illegal detention, fraud, and operating illegal gambling centres in Zhejiang province.
The executions mark Beijing’s firm stance against organised fraud networks operating abroad and signal a message of deterrence to potential scammers targeting Chinese citizens.
The Ming family’s criminal empire
The Ming clan transformed Laukkaing, a remote town on the Myanmar-China border, into a hub of casinos, red-light districts, and online scam centres. Their operations brought in more than 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) between 2015 and 2023. According to China’s highest court, their crimes led to the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens and injuries to many others.
The family’s patriarch, Ming Xuechang, committed suicide in 2023 to avoid arrest. More than 20 other family members received prison sentences ranging from five years to life.
Cross-border crackdown and regional implications
The Ming family’s downfall followed a 2023 military offensive by an ethnic insurgent alliance in Shan State, Myanmar, which handed over the clan to Chinese authorities after seizing Laukkaing. China’s decisive action highlights Beijing’s frustration with Myanmar’s military for tolerating the scam business, which is believed to have profited the local authorities.
Despite the crackdown, similar operations have shifted to the Myanmar-Thailand border, Cambodia, and Laos, where Chinese influence is more limited. UN estimates suggest hundreds of thousands of people, including many Chinese citizens, have been trafficked to run online scams in Southeast Asia.
Wider crackdown on mafia families
The Ming family members are the first Myanmar scam bosses executed by China. Other families, including the Bai, Wei, and Liu clans, face death sentences or ongoing trials. The executions were held following closed-door proceedings, though 160 attendees, including victims’ families, witnessed the sentencing last year.
State media documentaries have aired confessions of those arrested, emphasising Chinese authorities’ resolve to dismantle organised scam networks.
Source: BBC
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