Online romance scams have become a global menace, preying on vulnerable victims with promises of love and financial gain.
In a dramatic show of enforcement, China has executed 11 members of a notorious Myanmar mafia family responsible for some of the most brazen online fraud operations in recent memory.
The Ming Family’s Criminal Empire
The group, known as the Ming family criminal organization, had been running elaborate scams that lured victims into fake romantic relationships while also engaging in other serious crimes.
Their offenses included murder, assault, unlawful detention, running illicit casinos, and widespread fraud.
Local media reports suggest that the gang’s operations led to the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens and left countless others injured.
Court Proceedings and Execution
The members of the Ming family were sentenced to death in September by a court in Wenzhou, a city in eastern China.
The Supreme People’s Court in Beijing approved the sentences after reviewing evidence of crimes dating back to 2015, calling it “conclusive and sufficient.”
The executions were carried out last Thursday, with family members allowed to meet the condemned before their deaths.
Under Chinese law, executions are carried out by either firing squad or lethal injection.
How the Syndicate Was Brought Down
The fall of the Ming family’s empire began in 2023 when ethnic militias in Laukkaing, a town in Myanmar’s lawless borderlands, detained the criminals and handed them over to Chinese authorities.
The group had thrived in these unstable regions, where cross-border crime operations targeting Chinese speakers and international victims flourished, often involving cryptocurrency schemes and forced labor.
International Context and Human Rights Discussions
The executions coincided with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Starmer confirmed that human rights issues, including the prosecution of pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, were raised during their talks.
“We did have a respectful discussion about that, raised those issues as you would expect,” Starmer said, emphasizing that such discussions allow opportunities to address areas of disagreement.
The Global Scope of Online Scams
Fraud operations like those run by the Ming family have expanded across Southeast Asia and beyond.
Criminal syndicates have diversified their scams into multiple languages to target victims worldwide.
Some of those involved are willing participants, while others are trafficked laborers forced to work in these illegal operations.
Beijing has increasingly coordinated with regional authorities to crack down on these operations, repatriating thousands to face trial.
The Scale of the Problem
Fraud centres in Myanmar and the borderlands have stolen billions of dollars globally through phone and internet scams.
Experts say that most of these operations are run by Chinese-led syndicates working with local militias.
In September, alongside the 11 executions, courts also issued death sentences with two-year reprieves for five others and prison terms ranging from five years to life for another 23 suspects.
In November, five more individuals involved in scams in Myanmar’s Kokang region were sentenced to death for crimes that resulted in six Chinese deaths.
Global Warnings and the Future
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned earlier this year that online scam operations are spreading worldwide, including South America, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and some Pacific Islands.
According to the UN, hundreds of thousands of people are now working in scam centres globally, highlighting the international scale of this growing problem.
The crackdown on the Ming family serves as a stark reminder of China’s tough stance on cross-border cybercrime, but experts warn that as long as lucrative opportunities exist, these operations may continue to evolve—and the fight against them will be ongoing.
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