The recent execution of 11 members from an organized crime family based in northern Myanmar has captured global attention.
These individuals were sentenced to death in September for their involvement in a notorious network that operated in Laukkaing, a remote border town in Myanmar's Shan State, per BBC News.
While this execution might not be surprising to those familiar with China’s harsh stance on crime, the case sheds light on the disturbing world of international crime syndicates operating near China’s border.
China’s Harsh Approach to Crime
China is known for having the highest number of executions globally, with human rights groups reporting a significant number of death penalties each year.
However, the exact figures are kept secret by the state. It is not uncommon for officials in China to be executed for corruption, but the accusations surrounding the Ming family and their associates were much more severe.
Since 2009, the Ming, Bau, Wei, and Liu families have dominated Laukkaing, a strategic location on Myanmar's border with China.
Their rise to power came after General Min Aung Hlaing led a military operation that ousted the MNDAA, an ethnic insurgent group that had controlled the region for decades.
With the military’s departure, these four families quickly seized control and shifted from the region’s old reliance on opium and methamphetamine production to newer forms of crime, including casinos and, more recently, online fraud operations.
The families maintained close ties with the Myanmar military, and when Min Aung Hlaing seized power in a coup in 2021, he welcomed Liu Zhengxiang, the patriarch of the Liu clan, and honored him for his "extraordinary contributions to state development."
Liu’s conglomerate, Fully Light, boasted lucrative business ventures across Myanmar, and several members of the four families were even candidates for the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).
The Brutal Scam Operations
Despite their financial success, the four families ran some of the most brutal scam compounds in the region, with Laukkaing emerging as a particularly notorious site.
Thousands of Chinese nationals were lured to Laukkaing with promises of high-paying jobs, only to find themselves imprisoned and forced to participate in "pig-butchering" scams.
In these schemes, victims were manipulated into investing in fake financial opportunities, most of whom were Chinese citizens themselves.
Complaints from victims and their families flooded social media, but the scale of the operation remained largely under the radar until more severe events occurred.
The Ming family’s Crouching Tiger Villa compound became infamous after several Chinese nationals were killed in October 2023, allegedly during an escape attempt.
This prompted Chinese authorities to act, leading to significant repercussions for the families involved.
A Coordinated Response
In response to the growing public outrage and the reports of extreme abuse, China, with apparent support from the MNDAA and its allies, launched an attack on Laukkaing.
The MNDAA retook the town and detained the heads of the four families, as well as more than 60 of their associates and relatives.
Ming Xuechang, the patriarch of the Ming family, tragically took his own life after being captured.
Chinese police reportedly obtained confessions from the captured criminals. One family member allegedly admitted to randomly killing someone to demonstrate his power.
These revelations have been used by Chinese authorities to justify their aggressive crackdown on the families, with five members of the Bau family currently awaiting execution, while the trials for the Wei and Liu families continue.
The Cross-Border Connections
The four families were ethnic Chinese and maintained strong ties to the Chinese side of the border in Yunnan.
These deep-rooted connections made their operations particularly sensitive for the Chinese government.
In addition to the Laukkaing crackdown, China has pressured neighboring countries like Thailand and Cambodia to extradite Chinese criminals involved in similar scam operations.
For example, She Zhijiang, a businessman responsible for building a city in Myanmar’s war-torn Karen State, and Chen Zhi, who amassed power through his Prince Group conglomerate in Cambodia, have both been targets of Chinese enforcement efforts.
China has also repatriated thousands of its citizens who were caught up in scam compounds back to face trial in China. This decisive action against the crime syndicates in Laukkaing has been one of China’s most significant moves yet to curb cross-border fraud.
The Evolution of the Scam Industry
Despite these efforts, the scam business remains a persistent issue in the region. Reports suggest that it continues to thrive, especially in Cambodia, where it is considered one of the largest sectors in the country.
Despite pressure from China and the US, Cambodian authorities have struggled to shut down these operations. The scams have also continued to evolve and relocate, with other areas of Myanmar, such as the Thai-Myanmar border region, still home to new scam complexes.
As China intensifies its efforts to tackle these cross-border crime syndicates, the situation in Southeast Asia remains fluid, with new scams emerging even as older ones are shut down.
The ongoing crackdown highlights the growing concern over the influence and reach of criminal networks operating in and around Myanmar.