China court sentences 11 to death over $1.4 billion Myanmar-based online scam syndicate

A Chinese court has sentenced 11 people to death for their roles in a Myanmar-based crime syndicate accused of running online scams and illegal gambling worth more than $1.4 billion, the Associated Press reported.

The Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court said those sentenced included members of the Ming family, described as central figures in the group operating from Kokkang in Myanmar.

They were named as Ming Guoping, Ming Zhenzhen, and Zhou Weichang, along with eight others.

Suspended sentences and prison terms

Five additional defendants received death sentences suspended for two years, which are usually reduced to life imprisonment. Another 12 were sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to 24 years.

Chinese authorities had issued arrest warrants for the Ming family in November 2023 on charges of fraud, murder, and illegal detention. The court said the syndicate’s operations caused the deaths of 10 workers and injuries to two others who tried to escape.

Forced labour and online scams

The court statement added that the group forced trafficked workers to carry out online scams, including romance-related investment fraud, as part of a larger network spanning Southeast Asia.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that scam centres in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia form a global industry worth about $40 billion annually.

Chinese police have been working with neighbouring countries to tackle the issue. In February, joint efforts by China, Myanmar, and Thailand led to the release of more than 7,000 workers, most of them Chinese citizens, from scam centres along the Thai-Myanmar border.