A court in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, on September 29 sentenced 16 people to death for their roles in a notorious Myanmar-based criminal network accused of online fraud, drug trafficking, prostitution, and multiple murders.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, prosecutors found that since 2015, the Ming family syndicate had exploited its influence in Myanmar’s Kokang region to establish scam compounds and coordinate large-scale criminal operations. The group was accused of running online fraud schemes, drug deals, illegal casinos, and sex trafficking rings.
The court said the syndicate used violence to control its operations, killing at least 14 people — including 10 who tried to escape or disobey orders. In one case in October 2023, gunfire erupted at a scam compound as gang members attempted to prevent victims from being repatriated to China.
Authorities revealed the group drew more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) in financial backing from armed “sponsors.” While 16 received death sentences — five with a two-year reprieve — another 23 defendants were handed prison terms ranging from five years to life.
The verdict comes as China steps up cross-border cooperation with Southeast Asian countries to dismantle such scam hubs. Thousands of people have been repatriated from Myanmar in recent months.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has warned that cyber-fraud networks, many led by Chinese nationals, are generating tens of billions of dollars annually and are expanding beyond Southeast Asia to Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, and the Pacific. An estimated hundreds of thousands of people are trapped working in these compounds worldwide.
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Source: Vietnam Insider