Beijing \/ Yangon, January 30, 2026 \u2014<\/strong> The executions, carried out by the Wenzhou Intermediate People\u2019s Court in eastern China\u2019s Zhejiang province, followed the approval of death sentences by the Supreme People\u2019s Court of China after all appeals were rejected late last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chinese officials said the convicted individuals were members or associates of the \u201cMing family\u201d crime syndicate, a powerful organized group that operated multiple fortified fraud compounds in the Kokang region of Myanmar\u2019s Shan State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the official verdict:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A statement from the courts described the evidence as \u201cconclusive and sufficient,\u201d and Chinese authorities said the executions were carried out in accordance with Chinese law after review by the highest court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among those executed were key figures identified by Chinese state media, including Ming Guoping, Ming Zhenzhen, Zhou Weichang, Wu Hongming, and Luao Jianzhang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The scam operations were centered in towns like Laukkaing in Myanmar\u2019s Kokang region, known in recent years as hubs for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Multiple international reports and accounts have documented how syndicates lure recruits \u2014 often with fake \u201chigh-paying jobs\u201d \u2014 only to confine and force them into scam operations once they arrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Victims have included Chinese nationals as well as other foreign workers who were tricked into travel and then seized by the networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 \u201cachieved remarkable results\u201d and pledged to continue cooperation to \u201ceradicate the scourge\u201d of telecommunications fraud and online gambling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Myanmar military government \u2014 which has controlled the country since a 2021 coup \u2014 has historically been criticized for allowing such compounds to operate, exploiting lawless areas on its border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n China\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Beijing \/ Yangon, January 30, 2026 \u2014China 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\u2019s Yunnan province, state media and official sources said on Thursday. The executions, carried out by the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international"],"yoast_head":"\n
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\u2019s Yunnan province, state media and official sources said on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crimes and Convictions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\n Behind the Scam Operations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Myanmar Border Crime Hubs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Human Trafficking and Forced Labor<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n China\u2013Myanmar Cooperation and Regional Law Enforcement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Chinese Government Statements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Myanmar\u2019s Role<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n Broader Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n