China has executed 11 members of a large-scale online fraud syndicate in northern Myanmar. All were found guilty by a court in November last year, with the sentences carried out yesterday, according to local media reports.
They were members of the Ming Family organized crime group, which controls online fraud, prostitution and drug production syndicates. The Ming Family was free to carry out its criminal activities because of its close ties to the local government and Myanmar’s pro-junta militia. At the peak of their operations, the Ming Family was estimated to have 10,000 employees involved in online fraud.
The sentences came after the court rejected an appeal by two defendants to have their death sentences commuted. Among those sentenced to death were Ming Guoping, the son of the family head, and Ming Zhenzhen, the grandson of the family head. The head of the Ming Family, Ming Xuechang, committed suicide in November 2023 while fleeing arrest to avoid facing trial.
Although the Ming Family's crimes were committed in Myanmar, they are on trial in China for their involvement in the deaths of at least 14 Chinese nationals. The syndicate tortured, detained, and killed workers who tried to escape.
