Post by : Meena Ariff

China has executed 11 members of the Ming family, a notorious criminal clan responsible for running large-scale scam centers and illegal gambling dens in Myanmar. The Zhejiang provincial court sentenced them last September for serious offenses, including murder, illegal detention, fraud, and operating unlawful gambling activities.

The Ming family was one of several groups that controlled Laukkaing, a small border town in Myanmar near China. Under their control, the once quiet and impoverished town transformed into a flashy area filled with casinos and red-light districts. Their criminal network trapped thousands of Chinese workers, who were trafficked into these compounds and forced to scam people overseas.

The scam empire finally collapsed in 2023 when ethnic militias took control of Laukkaing amid Myanmar’s ongoing civil war. These militias detained the Ming family members and handed them over to Chinese authorities. Stories of victims, including a small-time Chinese actor deceived into joining these scam centers, spread widely in China, sparking public outrage and increasing pressure on Myanmar’s military government to curb the scam operations.

According to China’s highest court, the Ming mafia’s illegal businesses earned over 10 billion yuan (about $1.4 billion) between 2015 and 2023. Their crimes led to the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens and caused injuries to many others. The court rejected all appeals from the Ming family members and carried out the executions to put an end to their dangerous scam network.

#Global News