China Enacts Death Sentences on Notorious Myanmar Scam Mob

Wed Nov 05 2025 02:18:33 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Following a significant crackdown on organized crime, China sentences five high-ranking members of a notorious Myanmar mafia to death for a multitude of crimes, including fraud and homicide.

In a landmark ruling, a Chinese court has sentenced five members of the Bai family, a powerful Myanmar mafia, to death. The sentences come amidst China's broader efforts to combat rampant scam operations in Southeast Asia, which have exploited thousands, particularly Chinese nationals. The Bai family's extensive criminal enterprise, linked to billions in fraud and other crimes, has prompted a strong response from Chinese authorities, sending a warning to other organized crime syndicates in the region.

A Chinese court has sentenced five top members of an infamous Myanmar mafia to death as Beijing continues its crackdown on scam operations in South East Asia.

In all 21 Bai family members and associates were convicted of fraud, homicide, injury and other crimes, according to a state media report published on the court website.

The family is among a handful of mafias that rose to power in the 2000s, transforming the impoverished backwater town of Laukkaing into a hub for casinos and red-light districts.

Recent years have seen a shift in their operations towards scams that have trafficked thousands of victims, many of whom were forced into dehumanizing conditions to defraud others in operations worth billions.

Mafia boss Bai Suocheng and his son Bai Yingcang were sentenced by the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court alongside three other associates. Two members received suspended death sentences, five were given life sentences, while nine faced varying jail terms from three to 20 years.

Authorities revealed that the Bais operated 41 compounds for their cyberscam and casino activities, amassing criminal activities valued at over 29 billion Chinese yuan ($4.1bn). These activities resulted in significant harm, including the deaths of several individuals.

The harsh sentences reflect a campaign by Chinese authorities to eradicate extensive crime networks in the region and serve as a warning to other syndicates.

In similar actions, a Chinese court sentenced 11 members of the Ming family, another notorious clan from Laukkaing, to death in September.

The Bai family, once powerful in both politics and military through allegiances forged with Myanmar's military government, has seen its downfall as China pressures for control over criminal enterprises within its vicinity.

Despite their previous prominence, Bai Yingcang confessed in a documentary that they were once unrivaled in influence, solidifying their legacy through crime.

One survivor of their operations described the horrific abuse experienced within their training facilities, with accounts of extreme violence adding a chilling dimension to their crimes.

Bai Yingcang has also been implicated in the trafficking of methamphetamine, which only compounds the family's extensive criminal record.

The Chinese government’s resolve to tackle these crimes indicates an intention to warn all criminal players operating against Chinese interests that there will be severe repercussions for their actions.