China carried out the execution of 11 individuals on Thursday after they were found guilty of murdering 14 Chinese citizens and operating massive fraud and gambling schemes worth more than one billion dollars. The Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court in Zhejiang province announced the executions following approval from the Supreme People's Court in Beijing, which determined that evidence of crimes committed since 2015 was conclusive and sufficient.
Among those executed were Ming Guoping and Ming Zhenzhen, identified as leaders of the criminal enterprise known as the Ming family group. Other key members put to death included Zhou Weichang, Wu Hongming, and Luao Jianzhang. The defendants faced charges of intentional homicide, intentional injury, unlawful detention, fraud, and establishing illegal gambling operations.
The criminal syndicate had established compounds in northern Myanmar's Kokang region, where they recruited financiers and provided armed protection for their schemes. According to court documents, the operations generated more than 1.4 billion dollars in illicit funds over several years. The group's activities contributed to the deaths of 14 Chinese nationals and caused injuries to many others.
In addition to the 11 executions, five other individuals received death sentences with two-year reprieves, while 23 suspects were handed prison terms ranging from five years to life imprisonment. The defendants were initially detained in November 2023 when Chinese authorities pressured officials in Myanmar's border regions to crack down on transnational fraud operations.
Fraud compounds where criminals lure internet users into fake romantic relationships and cryptocurrency investments have proliferated across Southeast Asia, particularly in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. The United Nations estimates that approximately 120,000 people may be working in Myanmar's online scam centers alone, with another 100,000 potentially trapped in Cambodia. These operations extract billions of dollars annually through sophisticated phone and internet scams.
The executions represent China's strongest response yet to the growing threat of transnational cybercrime syndicates operating along its borders. Chinese authorities have intensified pressure on regional governments to dismantle these criminal networks, which increasingly target victims worldwide using multiple languages. The crackdown signals Beijing's determination to protect its citizens from cross-border fraud operations that have caused significant financial and human losses.
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