China has executed 11 members of a notorious criminal syndicate linked to large-scale telecom fraud and illegal online gambling operations based in Myanmar’s Kokang region, marking one of the most severe outcomes in Beijing’s escalating campaign against transnational cybercrime. The executions, approved by the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) after the rejection of final appeals, underscore the Chinese government’s determination to dismantle networks it views as posing serious threats to social stability, economic security, and citizens’ safety.

According to state media reports, the individuals belonged to the so-called “Ming family” criminal group, which for years operated a sprawling web of telecom fraud and gambling schemes from across the border in northern Myanmar. Authorities said the group established multiple fortified compounds in and around the town of Laukkai starting in 2015. From these bases, it orchestrated scams targeting victims inside China and abroad, generating illicit revenues estimated at more than 100 billion yuan (approximately $13.9 billion).

Chinese investigators described the Ming network as highly organized, violent, and deeply embedded in the criminal ecosystem that has flourished in parts of Myanmar’s border regions amid weak governance and long-running conflict. Prosecutors said the group did not merely run phone and online scams, but also collaborated with other criminal organizations engaged in human trafficking, forced labor, and physical abuse of scam workers. Court findings indicated that at least 14 Chinese citizens died as a result of detentions, assaults, or harsh conditions imposed by the network, while many others were injured.

The executions follow a series of high-profile trials that Chinese authorities have framed as landmark cases in the fight against telecom fraud. In September 2025, a court in Wenzhou sentenced 16 alleged........

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