China has executed 11 people connected to large-scale cyber scam centres operating along the Myanmar border, marking one of Beijing’s toughest actions yet against the booming online fraud industry in Southeast Asia.
According to state media reports, those executed were members of the Ming family criminal syndicate, including individuals described as core figures in the network. They were convicted of multiple offences such as intentional homicide, large-scale fraud, unlawful detention and the operation of illegal casinos. The executions were approved by China’s Supreme People’s Court after judges ruled that the evidence against the group was conclusive.
Investigators said the syndicate ran online and telecommunications scam operations worth more than 10 billion yuan (about $1.4 billion). Authorities added that the group’s activities led to the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens and caused serious injuries to many others.
Cyber scam networks have flourished in recent years across Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, exploiting political instability and weak law enforcement. While the operations generate billions of dollars annually, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has warned that many workers inside the scam centres are victims of human trafficking, forced to carry out fraud under threat and abuse.
China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing is working closely with Myanmar and neighbouring countries to combat cross-border telecommunications fraud and illegal online gambling. Officials said joint operations have already led to the arrest and repatriation of thousands of Chinese nationals linked to scam centres.
Public attention on the issue intensified after the kidnapping of Chinese actor Wang Xing near the Thai-Myanmar border in early 2025, which triggered coordinated regional crackdowns. Since then, several high-profile raids have been carried out, including mass arrests at notorious scam compounds.
Experts say many of the scam centres are run by Chinese-led criminal syndicates working with local militias in Myanmar’s border regions. The UN estimates that as many as 120,000 people may be working in online scam centres in Myanmar alone, with tens of thousands more across Southeast Asia.
Authorities confirmed that the executed individuals were allowed final visits with their families. Additional suspects linked to the Ming family group received lengthy prison sentences, including life terms and suspended death sentences.
