Beijing / Yangon, January 30, 2026 —
China has executed 11 individuals tied to a violent criminal syndicate that ran large-scale online scam and fraud operations based in northern Myanmar, especially in the Kokang region along the border with China’s Yunnan province, state media and official sources said on Thursday.
The executions, carried out by the Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, followed the approval of death sentences by the Supreme People’s Court of China after all appeals were rejected late last year.
Crimes and Convictions
Chinese officials said the convicted individuals were members or associates of the “Ming family” crime syndicate, a powerful organized group that operated multiple fortified fraud compounds in the Kokang region of Myanmar’s Shan State.
According to the official verdict:
- The criminal group engaged in telecom and online fraud, illegal gambling, fraudulent investment schemes, and romance scams targeting victims in China and abroad.
- They set up scam operations that generated more than ¥10 billion (~USD 1.4 billion) in illicit funds.
- The gang was also found guilty of intentional homicide, intentional injury, illegal detention, and operating illegal casinos — crimes that resulted in the deaths of at least 14 Chinese nationals and injuries to others.
A statement from the courts described the evidence as “conclusive and sufficient,” and Chinese authorities said the executions were carried out in accordance with Chinese law after review by the highest court.
Among those executed were key figures identified by Chinese state media, including Ming Guoping, Ming Zhenzhen, Zhou Weichang, Wu Hongming, and Luao Jianzhang.
Behind the Scam Operations
Myanmar Border Crime Hubs
The scam operations were centered in towns like Laukkaing in Myanmar’s Kokang region, known in recent years as hubs for:
- “Pig-butchering” scams — online romance + fake investment fraud schemes;
- Telecom fraud via fake calls, messages and websites;
- Illegal gambling and casinos targeting foreign and Chinese players;
- Use of trafficked or coerced workers inside heavily guarded compounds.
Some compounds were described in investigative reporting as having barbed-wire fences and armed patrols, with trafficked workers forced to run scams under threat of violence or detention.
Human Trafficking and Forced Labor
Multiple international reports and accounts have documented how syndicates lure recruits — often with fake “high-paying jobs” — only to confine and force them into scam operations once they arrive.
Victims have included Chinese nationals as well as other foreign workers who were tricked into travel and then seized by the networks.
China–Myanmar Cooperation and Regional Law Enforcement
Chinese Government Statements
At a January 29 press briefing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized that China has been working with Myanmar and neighboring countries to combat cross-border telecom fraud and online gambling crimes, saying such efforts “achieved remarkable results” and pledged to continue cooperation to “eradicate the scourge” of telecommunications fraud and online gambling.
Myanmar’s Role
The Myanmar military government — which has controlled the country since a 2021 coup — has historically been criticized for allowing such compounds to operate, exploiting lawless areas on its border.
However, under pressure from China and international partners, Myanmar authorities have at times conducted raids on major scam hubs. In late 2025 and 2024, thousands of suspects were arrested in major compound raids, including on sites like KK Park, a notorious scam center near the Thai border.
Despite these actions, analysts say much of the scam industry persists in insecure border regions and across Southeast Asia, including parts of Cambodia and Laos, where similar compounds have emerged.
Broader Context
International agencies estimate that hundreds of thousands of people work in scam centers across Southeast Asia, many under coercion, creating a multibillion-dollar criminal economy.
China’s execution of these 11 individuals signals a tougher stance on transnational fraud and organized crime, particularly where scams have directly harmed Chinese citizens and destabilized border security.
