China has executed 11 people convicted of running large-scale telecom fraud and illegal gambling networks based in Myanmar, in what authorities describe as a major escalation of Beijing’s campaign against cross-border cybercrime.
Chinese state media reported on Thursday that the executions followed a September ruling by a court in Wenzhou, eastern Zhejiang province, which found the suspects guilty of multiple serious crimes.
According to Xinhua news agency, those executed included “key members” of the Ming family criminal group, a syndicate accused of operating sprawling fraud and gambling operations across Myanmar since 2015.
The court said the group had “established multiple operational bases in Myanmar to engage in telecom fraud, operate illegal gambling dens and commit other crimes,” targeting victims on a massive scale.
The Supreme People’s Court (SPC), which reviewed the case after the defendants appealed, said the fraud and gambling operations involved more than 10 billion yuan (about $1.4 billion).
Xinhua reported that the 11 were sentenced to death “for crimes including intentional homicide, intentional injury, illegal detention, fraud and operating gambling establishments.”
State media added that the gangs “intentionally murdered, assaulted, and illegally detained people involved in fraud, resulting in the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens and causing injuries to others.”
The case highlights China’s growing focus on scam compounds operating in parts of Southeast Asia, particularly along Myanmar’s porous border regions.
These centers, often described as “scam factories,” form part of a multibillion-dollar illicit industry and are commonly staffed by foreigners, including Chinese nationals. Many workers have said they were trafficked and forced to scam people online.
In recent years, Beijing has stepped up cooperation with countries such as Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia to dismantle the networks behind the compounds. Tens of thousands of people linked to scam centers have been repatriated to China as a result of the crackdown.
Chinese authorities say the problem remains significant. In 2025 alone, more than 7,600 Chinese citizens suspected of involvement in telecom fraud and online gambling were repatriated from Myanmar’s Myawaddy region, near the Thai border.
The crackdown has also extended beyond Myanmar. This month, Chinese tycoon Chen Zhi was extradited from Cambodia to China. The United States has accused Chen of running Prince Holding Group as a front for “one of Asia’s largest transnational criminal organizations.”
In April, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime warned that the cyber-scam industry was expanding globally, estimating that hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are working in scam centers, often under coercive conditions.
