Highlights:
- Eleven members of the Ming family were executed after death sentences in China
- The group ran scam centers and casinos in Myanmar’s border town of Laukkaing
- Their operations generated over $1.4 billion between 2015 and 2023
- Crimes included fraud, illegal detention, gambling, and homicide
- China is using executions to deter future scam operations
China has executed 11 members of the Ming family, one of the most powerful crime syndicates behind scam operations along the China-Myanmar border, according to Chinese state media. The executions followed death sentences handed down in September 2025 by a court in China’s Zhejiang province, after the group was convicted of multiple serious crimes.
Who were the Ming family?
The Ming family was one of several mafia-style clans that controlled Laukkaing, a town in Myanmar’s northeastern Shan State, near the Chinese border. Once an impoverished and remote settlement, Laukkaing was transformed in the early 2000s into a booming but lawless hub of casinos, red-light districts, and eventually online scam centers.
These families operated with near-total impunity, benefiting from weak governance in Myanmar and alleged protection from elements within the country’s military. The Ming clan rose to prominence after a former local warlord was removed in a military operation led by Min Aung Hlaing, who later became Myanmar’s military ruler following the 2021 coup.
The patriarch of the family, Ming Xuechang, ran one of Laukkaing’s most infamous scam compounds, known as Crouching Tiger Villa. Initially focused on gambling and prostitution, the family later shifted aggressively into online fraud, which proved far more profitable.
What crimes did they commit?
According to China’s Supreme People’s Court, the Ming family’s operations generated more than 10 billion yuan (about $1.4 billion) between 2015 and 2023. Their criminal activities included telecom fraud, illegal detention, running gambling dens, and violent enforcement within their compounds.
Hundreds, and possibly thousands, of people were trafficked or kidnapped and forced to work in scam centers, where they targeted victims primarily in China. Survivors have described brutal conditions inside the compounds, including routine beatings, torture, and severe punishment for failing to meet scam quotas.
Chinese authorities say the Ming family’s crimes directly led to the deaths of at least 14 Chinese citizens and injuries to many others.
How did they fall?
The Ming empire collapsed in late 2023 amid escalating conflict in Myanmar. An alliance of ethnic militias launched an offensive against Myanmar’s military in Shan State and seized control of Laukkaing. During the takeover, the Ming family members were detained by the militias and later handed over to Chinese authorities.
Beijing had grown increasingly frustrated with Myanmar’s military for failing to shut down scam operations, which were overwhelmingly targeting Chinese citizens and draining billions of dollars from China’s economy. China quietly supported the ethnic insurgent offensive, which proved decisive in dismantling the scam hub.
Ming Xuechang, the family leader, died by suicide in 2023 while attempting to evade arrest, according to Myanmar’s military.
Why Were They Executed?
The 11 executed members are the first major Myanmar-based scam bosses to receive the death penalty in China. Their appeals were rejected in November 2025, and the executions were carried out as a clear signal of deterrence.
Chinese state media aired televised confessions and court documentaries to emphasize the government’s resolve to eradicate scam networks. Officials view the executions as a warning to other crime families that China will pursue cross-border fraud aggressively, even when it originates outside its territory.
More executions may follow. Five members of the Bai family were sentenced to death in November, while trials involving the Wei and Liu families are still ongoing. Over 20 additional Ming family members received prison sentences ranging from five years to life.
What Happens Next?
While the executions mark a major victory for China, experts warn the scam industry has not disappeared. Operations have shifted to Myanmar’s border with Thailand, as well as to Cambodia and Laos — regions where China has less political leverage.
According to the United Nations, hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped in scam centers across Southeast Asia, highlighting that while the Ming family has fallen, the broader criminal ecosystem continues to evolve.
