Chinese authorities have carried out the execution of 11 individuals connected to widespread fraudulent schemes that have defrauded people of significant amounts of money. According to Chinese state media, “key members” of online and phone scam networks were put to death in Wenzhou after being previously sentenced to death. This group included members of the influential Ming crime family, whose fraudulent activities have resulted in the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens.
The Supreme People’s Court in Beijing approved the sentences, citing conclusive and substantial evidence of crimes committed since 2015, which encompassed offenses such as intentional homicide, intentional injury, unlawful detention, fraud, and operating illegal casinos. Prior to the execution, the criminals were allowed to meet with their close relatives. These executions come amidst a widespread crackdown on scammers operating across various parts of South East Asia.
Scam centers in the region engage in phone and online scams that entice victims with fake cryptocurrency investments and romantic relationships. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that numerous individuals worldwide are involved in scams, with the issue expanding beyond South East Asia to regions like South America, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. The Ming crime family, based in Myanmar, faced repercussions when militias took control of Laukkaing, their operating base, during a civil war in 2023, leading to their detention and subsequent handover to Chinese authorities.
In September, over 20 family members received prison sentences ranging from five years to life, while five individuals were sentenced to death with two-year reprieves. China has indicated its intent to pursue additional fraud suspects in Myanmar, following the sentencing of five Bai family members to death for their scam activities in the country. Beijing has been actively dismantling scam networks and repatriating thousands of suspects for trial under China’s legal system, including over 7,600 Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in online gambling and phone fraud in Myanmar’s border regions.