In a decisive move against organized crime, Chinese courts have sentenced eleven members of the prominent Ming family to death. The family, deeply entrenched in criminal enterprises in Myanmar’s Laukkai town, was found guilty of a range of offenses including sophisticated scam operations, drug trafficking, and managing illegal casinos.
The crackdown, initiated by Myanmar authorities in 2023 and subsequently transferring many apprehended individuals to China, has resulted in a total of 39 Ming family members facing penalties. Beyond the eleven death sentences, five received suspended death sentences, eleven were given life imprisonment, and the remaining individuals were handed sentences ranging from five to twenty-four years.
Investigations revealed that the Ming family, alongside other criminal syndicates, had been operating these illicit businesses since 2015. Their combined activities, which included widespread telecommunications fraud and human trafficking, reportedly generated over 10 billion yuan (approximately $1.4 billion USD). The scale of these operations was immense, with estimates suggesting billions of dollars processed annually through their casinos alone.
The court also highlighted the family’s involvement in violent crimes, including the murder of scam center employees who attempted to return to China. The operations, particularly those run from compounds like Crouching Tiger Villa, were characterized by extreme exploitation, with workers often subjected to beatings and torture.
This sentencing underscores China’s firm stance against cross-border criminal activity and its commitment to dismantling the vast scam networks that have plagued Southeast Asia. The crackdown in Laukkai, influenced by China’s role in regional politics, signifies a major step in addressing the widespread “scamdemic” that has impacted victims globally, with thousands of scam center workers also being repatriated to China.