CHINA EXECUTES FOUR MORE IN MYANMAR SCAM SYNDICATE CRACKDOWN

China has executed four leading members of a Myanmar-based scam syndicate as part of its intensified crackdown on cross-border telecom and online fraud operations. The Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court announced the executions, marking the second such action in under a week as Beijing targets organised crime linked to Southeast Asian scam networks. 

The four individuals were associated with the notorious Bai family criminal group, convicted of crimes including fraud, intentional homicide, kidnapping, extortion and forced prostitution in scam operations run from Myanmar’s Kokang region. Their actions reportedly resulted in the deaths of six Chinese citizens and injuries to many others, with the syndicate defrauding victims of billions of yuan. 

This latest wave of executions follows a separate announcement last week that 11 other members of Myanmar-linked scam networks had been executed in China, reflecting Beijing’s broader push to dismantle transnational fraud syndicates exploiting internet scams, fake investment schemes and gambling operations. 

The court noted that the crimes were exceptionally heinous with serious societal consequences, and rejected appeals from the defendants before carrying out the death sentences, which were handed down in November. These actions are part of wider efforts by Chinese authorities to cooperate with regional partners and repatriate suspects involved in fraud schemes. 

China’s crackdown on scam syndicates operating across Southeast Asia has drawn international attention amid growing pressure on governments in the region to address the proliferation of online fraud, human trafficking and organised criminal enterprises that have victimised thousands globally.