China Executes 11 People Linked to Cyberscam Centers in Myanmar
China has executed 11 people linked to scam centers in Myanmar, including “core members” involved in the operation, according to state media.
Those executed were members of the “Ming family criminal gang” and had been found guilty of intentional homicide, as well as fraud and running casinos, state broadcaster China Central Television reported on Thursday.
Across Southeast Asia, billion-dollar cyber scam operations have been expanding, particularly in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, according to a report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Many working in such scam operations in the region are also themselves victims of human trafficking.
Related: These Five Technologies Increase The Risk of Cyber Claims
China is “actively cooperating” with countries such as Myanmar to crack down on cross-border telecommunications fraud, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Thursday at a regular briefing in Beijing.
“These joint efforts to root out the ‘scourges’ of online gambling and telecom fraud have achieved significant results in safeguarding the lives and property of the people,” he added.
The Ming family syndicate’s online and telecommunications fraud operations involved more than 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) in funds, according to the report. The gang’s activities resulted in the death of 14 Chinese citizens and left many others injured.
Related: Bumble, Panera Bread, CrunchBase, Match Hit by Cyberattacks
China’s Supreme Court approved the executions and the criminals were allowed to meet their relatives beforehand.
The high-profile kidnapping of Chinese actor Wang Xing in a Thai town bordering Myanmar in early 2025 helped prompt joint crackdowns on illegal compounds by China and neighboring countries. Chinese authorities repatriated hundreds of its citizens who worked in scam centers last year.
Top photo: The Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg.