China punishes fraudsters who scammed world out of $1.4 billion: court sentences revealed
Photo: Chinese leader Xi Jinping (Getty Images)
A court in China has sentenced 11 members of a major criminal organization to death for running a large-scale fraud network in Southeast Asia that scammed people around the world, according to The Guardian.
A court in Wenzhou has handed down death sentences to 11 members of the influential Min family, which ran a vast scam-and-gambling network out of Myanmar’s Kokang region that defrauded victims worldwide of more than $1.4 billion.
According to the intermediate people’s court, the group was convicted of organizing illegal gambling and large-scale online fraud, and of responsibility for the deaths of workers who disobeyed orders. On Monday, September 29, the court also issued five suspended death sentences (typically commuted to life imprisonment after two years) and prison terms of 5 to 24 years for 12 additional defendants.
Investigators said the syndicate used armed enforcers to run multiple scam and gambling hubs. Court statements cite at least 14 killings, including 10 accomplices who tried to flee or refused orders; in one October 2023 incident, defendants allegedly opened fire on a group to stop them returning to China.
Wider context
Fraud centers of this kind are widespread in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, often exploiting trafficking victims forced into romance and investment scams. The UN estimates the industry generates roughly $40 billion a year for criminal groups.
China has intensified cross-border crackdowns with regional partners. In February 2025, a joint operation by China, Myanmar, and Thailand on the border freed over 7,000 people, most of them Chinese nationals.
Related development in the US
On September 25, US President Donald Trump signed an order enabling pursuit of the death penalty for serious crimes, directing federal prosecutors to seek capital punishment in eligible cases following review of evidence and circumstances.
