A court in China has sentenced 11 people to death for their roles in a family-run crime syndicate operating scam centres and illegal gambling worth more than $1.4bn (£1.1bn). The Wenzhou intermediate people's court handed down the sentences on Monday to members of the Ming family in Kokang, Myanmar.
Another five defendants received suspended death sentences, which are often commuted to life imprisonment, while 12 others were jailed for between five and 24 years. The syndicate was accused of using armed force to establish compounds in Kokang, where it ran online scams and illegal gambling.
The court alleged the group killed 14 people, including ten fraud workers who tried to escape or disobeyed orders. In one incident in October 2023, the accused allegedly opened fire on people at a scam compound to prevent them from being transferred back to China. The group also provided armed protection to financial backers.
China issued arrest warrants for four Ming family members in November 2023 on suspicion of fraud, murder and illegal detention as part of a crackdown on scam operations near the Myanmar border. Scam centres in Southeast Asia, often using trafficked workers, are estimated to generate $40bn annually, according to the United Nations.
In February, China, Myanmar and Thailand coordinated to pressure scam centres along the Thai-Myanmar border, leading to the release of more than 7,000 workers, mostly Chinese citizens.
