China Executes 11 Myanmar Scam Syndicate Members

China Executes 11 Myanmar Scam Syndicate Members

By Paul V. Young – TheNATIONWEEK.com | January 30, 2026

ZHEJIANG, China – Chinese authorities have executed 11 members of the Ming family criminal organization, a powerful syndicate operating in Myanmar’s Kokang region.

The group was found guilty of running a vast multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise involved in online fraud, illegal detention, and homicide, according to state media reports.

The Ming family was a key player among the “four families” controlling northern Myanmar’s illicit industries.

These syndicates are accused of operating numerous compounds engaged in internet scams, prostitution, and drug production, often with the complicity of local government officials and militias aligned with Myanmar’s ruling junta.

The individuals were initially sentenced to death in September following a trial that detailed their extensive criminal activities.

The Supreme People’s Court, China’s highest court, upheld the original verdicts after two defendants appealed.

At the heart of the Ming family’s operations was the infamous Crouching Tiger Villa in Laukkaing, the capital of Kokang, an autonomous region bordering China.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the syndicate employed as many as 10,000 individuals to carry out scams and other illegal activities.

Laukkaing had become a hub for a multi-billion dollar scam industry, exploiting trafficked workers forced to defraud victims through sophisticated online schemes.

Mounting pressure from relatives of trafficked workers and increased international scrutiny led Beijing to launch a crackdown on these compounds in 2023.

Arrest warrants were issued in November for members of the Ming family, accusing them of fraud, murder, and trafficking.

Rewards ranging from $14,000 to $70,000 were offered for their capture.

Ming Xuechang, head of the family and a former member of Myanmar’s state parliament, reportedly committed suicide while in custody.

Among those executed were his son, Ming Guoping, a leader in the junta-aligned Kokang Border Guard Force, and his granddaughter, Ming Zhenzhen.

State media reported that the condemned were allowed to meet with close relatives before their executions.

The Ming family syndicate was also found to have conspired with Wu Hongming, leader of another criminal organization who was also executed, in the intentional killing, injuring, and illegal detention of scam workers.

The actions resulted in the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens, according to state media.

One particular incident occurred in October 2023, when members of the group allegedly opened fire on people at a scam compound during a transfer of workers under armed guard, following a tip-off on a planned police raid.

The United States Institute of Peace estimates that scamming gangs in Southeast Asia steal more than $43 billion annually.

In Myanmar, these criminal operations have thrived due to widespread corruption and lawlessness, particularly in the country’s border regions.

The ongoing civil war has further exacerbated the situation, allowing criminal syndicates and armed groups to expand their illicit activities.

A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry stated that Beijing would continue to intensify efforts to “eradicate the scourge of gambling and fraud” in the region.

The executions underscore China’s commitment to combating transnational crime and addressing the growing problem of online scams originating from Southeast Asia.