 "China executes 11 members of Ming family for running a billion-dollar scam empire in Myanmar")
China has executed 11 members of a notorious family that ran scam centres in Myanmar. According to Chinese state media CCTV, a court in Zhejiang province sentenced the Ming family members for crimes including homicide, illegal detention, fraud and operating gambling dens in September.
It is pertinent to note that the Ming family was one of the several clans that ran Myanmar’s sleepy town of Laukkaing, close to the border with China. Under their reign, the region was transformed into a flashy hub of casinos and red-light districts.
However, the scam empire came crashing down in 2023 when Myanmar authorities arrested them and handed them over to China. The operation was part of a crackdown prompted by pressure from Beijing, their most powerful ally.
Why it matters
The scam operation in Myanmar has trapped thousands of Chinese workers over the years - they are among the hundreds of thousands who have been trafficked into these compounds, where they are forced to scam people overseas.
Last year, the Chinese internet saw a viral search for a small-time Chinese actor who had flown to Thailand for an acting gig but was instead taken to a scam centre in Myanmar. More stories like these added to the frustration of Beijing.
For the longest time, China has been demanding that Myanmar’s junta crack down on the scam mafia operating in the country. The Ming mafia’s scam operations and gambling dens brought in more than 10bn yuan ($1.4bn; £1bn) between 2015 and 2023, the court has found.
The crimes involving the family resulted in the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens and injuries to many others, the court has learnt.
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