A Chinese court sentenced 11 members of the Ming family to death Monday for operating massive fraud operations in Myanmar that generated over $1.4 billion through telecommunications scams, illegal casinos, and human trafficking.
The Wenzhou court convicted 39 Ming family members on various charges, with five receiving death sentences with two-year suspensions, 11 sentenced to life imprisonment, and the remainder receiving jail terms ranging from five to 24 years, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
The Ming family operated scam centers in Laukkai, Myanmar, a border town that became a hub for gambling, drug trafficking, and sophisticated fraud operations targeting victims worldwide. The family controlled facilities holding at least 10,000 workers, including the notorious Crouching Tiger Villa compound where employees were routinely beaten and tortured.
The court determined that since 2015, the Ming family and affiliated criminal groups engaged in telecommunications fraud, illegal gambling, drug trafficking, and prostitution, generating more than 10 billion yuan in revenue.
Evidence presented at trial showed the organization was responsible for multiple deaths, including shooting workers attempting to return to China. The operations were part of what the United Nations has termed the “scamdemic,” involving more than 100,000 foreign nationals, many Chinese, lured to scam centers where they were imprisoned and forced to conduct online fraud operations.
Myanmar authorities cracked down on the operations in 2023 following military action by insurgent groups that drove government forces from large areas of Shan State and took control of Laukkai. China, which holds significant influence over these insurgent groups, was assumed to have approved the offensive.
Ming Xuechang, the family patriarch, reportedly died by suicide during the crackdown. Other family members were extradited to Chinese authorities, with some making public confessions.
The harsh sentences signal China’s determination to eliminate cross-border scam operations. Beijing pressure also forced Thailand to take action against similar operations along its Myanmar border earlier this year.
Despite increased enforcement, the scam industry has adapted, with operations shifting primarily to Cambodia while maintaining presence in Myanmar. The business model initially developed to exploit Chinese gambling demand, which is illegal in China and neighboring countries, evolved into sophisticated money laundering and trafficking operations.
Thousands of workers from the scam centers have been repatriated to Chinese authorities following the crackdown. The sentencing represents one of the largest prosecutions of organized crime figures involved in the regional fraud industry.
