Overview
- China’s Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court convicted 39 defendants tied to the Myanmar-based Ming family syndicate on multiple charges.
- Media reports differ on the number condemned to death, with some citing 11 and others 16, while five suspended death sentences and additional prison terms were also announced.
- The court said the network ran cyber fraud, casino operations, drug trafficking and organised prostitution since 2015, with illicit proceeds exceeding 10 billion yuan (about US$1.4 billion).
- Judges cited lethal coercion against captives, including an October 2023 incident in which four people were shot dead at a scam compound to prevent their transfer to China.
- Chinese authorities had issued arrest warrants for the clan in November 2023 and coordinated cross-border actions and mass repatriations as part of a wider campaign against regional scam centres.