China has carried out the execution of 11 individuals associated with the notorious Ming family, a criminal gang implicated in running scam operations in Myanmar. These actions were confirmed by Chinese state media on Thursday. The gang is recognized as one of the prominent “four families” of northern Myanmar, involved in extensive criminal activities including internet fraud, drug production, and human trafficking, with members reportedly holding influential positions within local government and militia groups aligned with Myanmar’s ruling junta.
The 11 executed individuals were sentenced to death in September for a range of serious crimes, including homicide, illegal detention, and fraud. Initial appeals to the Supreme People’s Court upheld the original convictions. The Ming family, led by Ming Xuechang, was connected to a notorious site known as Crouching Tiger Villa in Kokang, an area along Myanmar’s border with China. At its height, the syndicate is estimated to have employed around 10,000 people engaged in various criminal enterprises.
The region of Kokang, particularly its capital Laukkaing, has become infamous for its role in a multi-billion-dollar scam industry, leveraging trafficked workers to execute complex online fraud schemes. Following growing international scrutiny and pleas from families of victims who were trafficked into these operations, China began to take serious action against such compounds in 2023.
In response to the rising tide of criminal activities, Beijing issued arrest warrants for members of the Ming family that November, accusing them of serious crimes including fraud and trafficking, and offered substantial rewards for their capture. Ming Xuechang reportedly took his own life while in custody, while his son Ming Guoping, a leader in the Kokang Border Guard Force, and granddaughter Ming Zhenzhen were among those executed.
Furthermore, the Ming family worked in collusion with another syndicate leader, Wu Hongming, who was also executed, to orchestrate violent actions against workers, leading to the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens. A shocking incident in October 2023 highlighted the gang’s brutality when four individuals were killed during a police crackdown at a scam compound.
The staggering scale of these scam operations is underscored by research indicating that such gangs across Southeast Asia generate over $43 billion annually. Myanmar’s long-standing issues of corruption and lawlessness have allowed these syndicates to thrive, especially in the context of ongoing civil unrest that has plagued the region for nearly five years.
Responding to questions about the executions, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to intensifying efforts to combat criminal activities related to gambling and fraud, signaling a renewed focus on addressing the complex challenges posed by organized crime in the region.