China Executes More Myanmar Scam Leaders in Fraud Crackdown

• Feb 02, 2026

China has executed four more leaders of Myanmar-based scam syndicates as it intensifies a crackdown on cross-border fraud.

A Chinese court announced on Monday that the four individuals were put to death for their roles in large-scale telecom and online fraud operations based in Myanmar. The executions mark the second such announcement in less than a week, signaling Beijing’s growing determination to dismantle scam networks that have targeted victims across Asia and beyond.

According to the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court, the four were members of the so-called “Bai family criminal group.” Prosecutors said the group was responsible for running scam compounds in the Kokang region of northern Myanmar, an area long associated with weak law enforcement and cross-border crime. The court said the group’s activities led to the deaths of six Chinese citizens and caused injuries to many others.

The crimes listed against the four included fraud, intentional homicide, intentional injury, kidnapping, extortion, and forced prostitution. One of the executed members, Bai Yingcang, was also accused of colluding in the production and sale of about 11 tonnes of methamphetamine, according to the court statement. The four were sentenced to death in November. A fifth suspect, Bai Suocheng, who was described as the group’s ringleader, also received a death sentence but later died of illness after the verdict.

The announcement follows another statement issued days earlier by a court in Wenzhou, eastern China, which said it had executed 11 people linked to telecom scam operations associated with the “Ming family criminal group.” Together, the cases underline the scale of China’s response to fraud networks operating beyond its borders.

Scam centres have spread across parts of Southeast Asia, including Cambodia and the border regions of Myanmar. These operations often involve luring internet users into fake romantic relationships or fraudulent cryptocurrency investments. While Chinese speakers were initially the main targets, the syndicates have expanded into multiple languages, stealing billions of dollars from victims worldwide.

The groups rely on thousands of foreign workers, some recruited willingly and others trafficked and forced to work in the compounds. In response, China has stepped up cooperation with governments in the region, leading to the repatriation of thousands of suspects to face trial.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing has been actively working with Myanmar and other countries to combat telecom fraud. He said the efforts had produced “significant results” in protecting people’s lives and property, and added that China would further intensify its campaign against the syndicates.