Death sentences for 11 Ming clan members over Myanmar scam empire

Another 28 members were also convicted of illegal activities. Of these, five received suspended death sentences, 11 were given life imprisonment, and the rest were jailed for terms ranging from five to 24 years.

The Ming family operated as one of four powerful clans that controlled Laukkai, a town in Myanmar’s northern Shan State near the Chinese border. Once a quiet outpost, Laukkai became a hub for gambling, drugs and call-centre scams under their control. 

The syndicate’s operations were estimated to have generated more than 10 billion yuan since 2015 through telecoms fraud, illegal casinos, narcotics and prostitution.

The United Nations has described Laukkai’s transformation as a “scamdemic”, with more than 100,000 people — mostly Chinese nationals — lured into call-centre compounds, held captive and forced to carry out sophisticated online fraud targeting victims worldwide.

Chinese investigators found that the Ming family was also responsible for the deaths of several call-centre workers, including at least one who was shot to prevent his return to China.

The gang’s most infamous site, known as “Crouching Tiger Villa”, was staffed by as many as 10,000 employees, many of whom were beaten and tortured regularly.

Myanmar authorities cracked down in 2023, arresting dozens of the clan’s members and extraditing them to China. Reports said the family patriarch, Ming Xuechang, took his own life, while others confessed during trial.

Two years ago, rebel groups drove Myanmar’s military out of much of Shan State and seized Laukkai, reportedly with China’s tacit approval.