By: The Trek News Desk
China has executed four additional members of the notorious Bai family crime syndicate, which had been operating large-scale cyber fraud networks in Myanmar, according to state media reports.
Authorities said the individuals were part of organised criminal groups involved in online scams, illegal casinos, human trafficking, and violent crimes along Myanmar’s border regions. A court in Guangdong province convicted a total of 21 members and associates of the Bai family on charges including fraud, murder, and causing serious bodily harm.
State media confirmed that in November 2024, the same court handed down death sentences to five members of the Bai family. Among them was the group’s leader, Bai Suocheng, who later died due to illness after his conviction.
Just last week, China also executed 11 members of the Ming family crime network, highlighting Beijing’s intensified crackdown on cyber scam operations spread across Southeast Asia.
For years, the Bai, Ming, and other influential families maintained control over Laukkaing, a border town in Myanmar that became a centre for illegal gambling, red-light districts, and online scam compounds.
Officials said the Bai family was considered the most powerful among these groups. The syndicate reportedly operated 41 secured compounds used for cyber fraud and casino activities, where violence, physical abuse, and torture were routinely reported.
According to the court, the Bai family’s criminal activities resulted in the deaths of six Chinese nationals, forced one individual to take their own life, and left several others seriously injured.
The Bai family rose to prominence in the early 2000s after a military operation removed the region’s former warlord. That operation was led by Min Aung Hlaing, who now heads Myanmar’s military government.
However, the syndicates’ influence collapsed in 2023, when China grew increasingly frustrated with Myanmar’s failure to curb scam operations. Beijing then indirectly supported an offensive by ethnic armed groups in the region, leading to the capture of scam leaders and their eventual handover to Chinese authorities.
In China, the convicted criminals were featured in state-produced documentaries, aimed at showcasing the government’s determination to eliminate cross-border cyber fraud. Analysts believe the recent executions are intended to serve as a powerful deterrent to organised scam networks.
According to United Nations estimates, hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked into running online scams across Myanmar and other parts of Southeast Asia. Thousands of Chinese nationals were among those forced into these operations, while most financial victims of the scams were also Chinese.
Source: News Agencies
