China Sentences 11 to Death in Crackdown on Myanmar Scam Ring
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A court in eastern China has handed down 11 death sentences to members of a notorious Myanmar-based crime family for running sprawling telecom scam operations that preyed on Chinese citizens and resulted in multiple murders.
On Friday, the Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Zhejiang province sentenced a total of 39 people from the Ming family crime group. Among them, key members Ming Guoping and Ming Zhenzhen were sentenced to death, along with nine others. Another five received suspended death sentences, 11 were given life imprisonment, and 12 received prison terms ranging from five to 24 years.
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- A Chinese court sentenced 11 members of Myanmar’s Ming crime family to death for telecom scams and murders; 39 were sentenced in total.
- The Ming family’s syndicate generated over 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) and was involved in fraud, gambling, and drug trafficking.
- The crackdown led to the fall of other crime syndicates in Kokang, with several major leaders now facing trial in China.
- Since 2015：
- The Ming family crime group, led by Ming Xuechang, established multiple scam parks and provided armed protection for criminal sponsors in northern Myanmar’s Kokang region.
- October 20, 2023：
- Ming family armed personnel opened fire during an incident while moving people to evade a handover to Chinese authorities, killing four and injuring another four.
- Late 2023：
- The crackdown on Kokang’s crime syndicates intensified.
- November 2023：
- China issued arrest warrants for senior members of the Ming family. Ming Xuechang committed suicide during his arrest, while three other members, including Ming Guoping and Ming Zhenzhen, were captured and handed over to Chinese authorities.
- January 2025：
- Six leaders of other Kokang crime syndicates, including Bai Suocheng, were transferred to China.
- From September 19 to 22, 2025：
- Bai Suocheng and 20 other members of his family’s crime group stood trial in Shenzhen.
- Friday, September 27, 2025：
- The Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court sentenced 39 members of the Ming family crime group; 11 received death sentences, including Ming Guoping and Ming Zhenzhen.
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