China court sentences 11 people to death over alleged role in family-run Myanmar scam operations

"A court in China has sentenced 11 people to death for their alleged roles in a family-run crime syndicate accused of running illegal gambling and scam operations worth more than $1.4bn, and for the deaths of workers who disobeyed them. The Wenzhou intermediate people's court on Monday sentenced 11 members of the powerful Ming family in Kokkang, Myanmar to death while another five were handed death sentences suspended for two years."

"The syndicate had relied on armed force to establish multiple compounds in Kokang, the court said in a statement posted on social media. The court alleged the group had killed 14 people, including 10 involved in fraud who had tried to escape from the group or disobeyed its management. It cited one incident in October 2023, when the accused allegedly opened fire on people at a scam compound to prevent them from being transferred back to China."

"Scam centres, in which criminals run sophisticated online scams targeting people all over the world, have proliferated in countries in south-east Asia, including Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. They often use trafficked workers who are forced to conduct romance-based investment scams as part of a globalised industry that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates is worth $40bn annually. In April, the UN warned that Chinese and south-east Asian gangs are raking in tens of billions of dollars a year through cyber scam centres."

Chinese court sentenced 11 members of the Ming family to death and handed suspended death sentences or prison terms to others for operating illegal gambling and scam operations worth over $1.4bn. The syndicate established armed compounds in Kokang, Myanmar, and allegedly killed 14 people, including fraud workers who tried to escape or disobeyed management. The court cited an October 2023 incident in which accused opened fire to prevent transfers back to China. The group attracted financial backers and offered armed protection. Scam centres have proliferated across southeast Asia and often use trafficked workers in a globalised $40bn industry.

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