The Chinese government has executed 11 members of the Ming family crime syndicate. This comes after investigations into the criminal empire uncovered “intentional homicide, intentional injury, illegal detention, fraud, and operating gambling dens”, as well as other penalties.
In the announcement, which has been translated, the Supreme People’s Court has confirmed that the group, led by Ming Guoping and Ming Zhenzhen, working alongside the “telecommunications fraud syndicate” led by other members, had conspired or committed various crimes.
These crimes are described as “exceptionally heinous” in nature, which have been met with the “severe” punishment. That had been determined to be execution, which Ming Guoping, Ming Zhenzhen, Zhou Weichang, Wu Hongming, Wu Senlong, Fu Yubin, among others, will be or have already been subjected to.
The press release provides limited detail on the gambling operations linked to the Ming family crime syndicate. While illegal gambling is listed among the crimes, the announcement focuses primarily on violent offenses and large-scale telecommunications fraud.
China executes Ming gambling crime syndicate amid wider crackdown
Separate from this case, Chinese authorities have in recent years extradited several individuals accused of operating overseas gambling networks, among them She Zhijiang, who was returned from Thailand, and Chen Zhi, who had been based in Cambodia. These extraditions were part of broader law-enforcement efforts against cross-border gambling and scam operations, rather than specific details addressed in the Ming family verdict.
However, they did operate gambling dens in their crime operations out of Myanmar. Scams became the focus of the Ming family; it got its start in the region through gambling and prostitution.
As things began to spiral, the syndicate began to move into other, more illegal areas.
Using the region’s lawlessness as it goes through a civil war, it has managed to benefit massively and transform Laukkaing into a casino town.
They operated the Crouching Tiger Villa, which was part of the unfortunate incident in 2023, where Chinese citizens within the compound were shot and killed while trying to escape. The location was used in the forced labour side of the Ming’s business.
With the area of Myanmar now under the control of local militia, they began to crack down on the local crime families.
Images via Chinese Ministry of Public Security, CCTV
