A Chinese court has executed 11 members of a powerful mafia-style family for running “an especially vile” billion-dollar scam and gambling operation out of Myanmar, where trafficked workers were detained – and sometimes killed – when they tried to flee.
China has executed 11 members of the Ming family, a powerful criminal group accused of running brutal scam centers across the border in Myanmar’s lawless Kokang region.
Myanmar centers
The scam compounds, disguised as business parks, operated with impunity and formed the backbone of a sprawling criminal economy built on cyberscams, gambling, prostitution, and drug production.
Victims were lured with fake job offers, then held against their will and forced to run online scams targeting people across the world.
A 2023 United Nations (UN) report estimated that as many as 120,000 people were trafficked into forced labor in these centers, which have been linked to more than $43 billion in annual global losses, according to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). In many cases, workers who resisted or tried to flee were beaten, tortured, or killed.
“Once trafficked, victims are deprived of their liberty and subjected to torture, ill treatment, severe violence and abuse including beatings, electrocution, solitary confinement and sexual violence,” human rights experts told the UN of people forced into “contemporary forms of slavery.”
The compounds thrived in regions beyond the Myanmar government’s control, shielded by militia groups aligned with the ruling junta and corrupted local authorities.
The Ming family was one of the most powerful of the “four families” dominating the area – alongside the Bai, Wei, and Liu families – and had longstanding influence over local militia forces and governance structures, BBC reports.
Executed for ‘especially vile’ crimes
On Jan. 29, Chinese state media confirmed that 11 members of the Ming family were executed following their conviction for crimes including “intentional homicide, intentional injury, unlawful detention, fraud, and casino establishment.”
The court emphasized the severity of the offenses and confirmed that the use of capital punishment was based on the “especially vile” nature of the crimes.
According to CNN, among those executed were Ming Guoping – the son of family head Ming Xuechang, a former member of Myanmar’s state parliament who died by suicide in custody – and Ming Zhenzhen, the kingpin’s granddaughter.
“The criminals’ close relatives were allowed to meet with them before the execution,” Xinhua reported, per NDTV.
‘Eradicate the scourge’
The executions mark Beijing’s most high-profile move yet against overseas crime networks, with more than 53,000 suspects handed over by Myanmar since mid-2023, according to state media.
The Ming family’s operations were among the most notorious. NDTV reports that Chinese officials linked the group to the deaths of at least 14 Chinese nationals and the abuse of “many others.” The gang’s scam compounds were described as sites of systemic torture and exploitation – a key reason the death penalty was imposed.
After the execution, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson pledged that Beijing would strengthen efforts to “eradicate the scourge of gambling and fraud.”
Though the Mings are the first of the four families to face justice in China’s courts, other cases are pending. Five members of the Bai family are reportedly awaiting execution, while defendants from the Wei and Liu families have yet to be sentenced.
Shifting networks
Despite the sweeping crackdown, the fight is far from over. As enforcement actions dismantle scam operations in northern Myanmar, criminal groups have shifted activity to new areas, especially along Myanmar’s border with Thailand. Associated Press reports that notorious locations like KK Park – raided in October 2025 – have emerged as fresh hubs for online scams and illegal gambling.
China’s campaign continues to target these shifting networks, but the scale of the challenge is vast. The UN has estimated that hundreds of thousands of individuals remain trapped in scam compounds globally, with organized crime groups exploiting the chaos of civil war, poverty, and political instability to expand their reach.
Still, the execution of the Ming family members marks a decisive moment. China has signaled not only its willingness to act, but its determination to make an example of even the most entrenched and protected figures.
Please let us know what you think of China’s decision to execute these 11 violent criminals!
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