General

China has executed 11 members of a notorious family involved in running scam operations in Myanmar, according to state media reports. In September, a court in Zhejiang province sentenced the Ming family for various crimes, including homicide, illegal detention, fraud, and operating illegal gambling facilities. The Ming family was one of several groups that controlled the quiet town of Laukkaing in Myanmar, located near the Chinese border. During their reign, this poor town was turned into a bustling area filled with casinos and red-light districts. Their scam empire collapsed in 2023 when Myanmar authorities arrested them and extradited them to China. This action was part of a crackdown motivated by pressure from Beijing, their strongest ally. The scam operations in Myanmar have ensnared thousands of Chinese workers over the years. They are among the hundreds of thousands trafficked into these places, where they are forced to commit scams against people overseas. Last year, a viral story circulated in China about a small-time actor who traveled to Thailand for a role but was instead taken to a scam center in Myanmar. Such incidents fueled frustration in Beijing, which had been urging Myanmar's military government to take action against the scam mafia. According to the court, the Ming mafia's operations and gambling ventures generated over 10 billion yuan (approximately $1.4 billion or £1 billion) from 2015 to 2023. Their activities led to the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens and injured many others, the court reported.