China Sentences 11 to Death for Leading Massive Online Fraud Empire in Myanmar Border Region

In China, a court handed down death sentences to 11 people for their involvement in a multibillion-dollar family crime empire that operated mainly through online fraud and gambling operations in the remote border region of Myanmar, as well as for the deaths of workers who attempted to escape.

Eleven members and affiliates of the Min family were sentenced to death by the Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Zhejiang Province on Monday, the court said.

The Min family – one of the so-called ‘four families’ of northern Myanmar – is a mafia-like criminal network believed to control dozens of sites where they carried out online fraud, prostitution, and drug production, and whose members wield influence in local authorities and in armed formations that support the regime in Myanmar.

The head of the Min family, Min Xuechan, who had previously served as a deputy in the state parliament, later took his own life in a detention center after his arrest, state media had reported earlier.

His son Min Guoping, who led the Kokang border guard, daughter Min Julan, and granddaughter Min Zhengzhen were also arrested during the investigation.

Together with allies of the criminal syndicate, their activities led to the deaths of at least ten people who disobeyed the leadership or attempted to escape from the compounds, according to the court.

According to the court, since 2015 Min leveraged influence in the Kokang region to develop dozens of complexes and attract financial backing and armed security personnel to build networks for cyber fraud, casinos, drug trafficking, and prostitution.

According to the United States Institute of Peace, annual losses from fraudulent operations in Southeast Asia exceed $43 billion.

Context of the Case and Its Implications

In Myanmar, fraud centers were sustained by corruption and weak rule of law, but criminal syndicates and armed formations used several years of civil war to expand their business and influence in border regions.

The deployment of the Chinese operation against these centers began after a coordinated insurgent campaign against Myanmar’s military in October 2023, which led to arrests in Kokang.

China publicly called for intensified cross-border crime crackdown, and analysts believe Beijing supported the operation. Ultimately, the region was pushed out from under the control of armed formations.

According to official Chinese authorities, more than 53,000 Chinese ‘suspects’, including trafficking victims, were returned from fraud complexes in northern Myanmar to China.

Experts note rising cyber fraud via illegal online markets; syndicates are increasingly using cryptocurrencies and deploying artificial intelligence to move money faster and enhance the efficiency of fraud schemes.

Conclusion: Implications for Regional Crime-Fighting

The imposition of death sentences in this case underscores the resolve of Chinese and regional law enforcement to combat transnational crime, including cyber fraud, illegal gambling networks, and prostitution. Examining the business model of family clans that combined online fraud with physical centers in border regions demonstrates how corruption and weak rule of law can foster the spread of crime. However, the verdict also highlights the need for long-term cross-border coordination and a tech-forward approach to cutting off financing for crimes, including the use of cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence by law enforcement to detect and disrupt schemes at early stages.