Five Myanmar Mafia Bosses Sentenced to Death by Chinese Court
A Chinese court today sentenced five top members of a notorious Myanmar-based mafia family to death as Beijing intensifies its crackdown on transnational scam operations targeting Chinese citizens.
The Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court convicted 21 members of the Bai family and their associates of crimes including fraud, homicide, and injury, according to a report published on the court’s website. Mafia boss Bai Suocheng and his son, Bai Yingcang, were among those sentenced to death, alongside Yang Liqiang, Hu Xiaojiang, and Chen Guangyi. Two received suspended death sentences, five were sentenced to life imprisonment, and nine others received jail terms ranging from three to 20 years. The Bais rose to prominence in the 2000s, transforming the town of Laukkaing into a hub for casinos and, more recently, large-scale cyber scam operations.
Authorities say the Bai family established 41 compounds to facilitate their criminal activities, which involved over 29 billion Chinese yuan (approximately $4.1 billion USD) and resulted in the deaths of six Chinese citizens, one suicide, and multiple injuries. Bai Yingcang, who is also facing a separate conviction for conspiracy to traffic and manufacture 11 tonnes of methamphetamine, previously told state media that his family was “absolutely number one” in both political and military circles in Laukkaing. “At that time, our Bai family was the most powerful in both the political and military circles,” he said in a documentary aired on Chinese state media in July. Victims of the scams have reported horrific abuse, including physical violence and mutilation; one worker recalled having fingernails ripped out and fingers severed. Myanmar has been in a state of political turmoil since the 2021 military coup, creating a permissive environment for these criminal enterprises to flourish.
These harsh penalties follow a similar sentencing in September, when a Chinese court sentenced 11 members of the Ming family – another prominent Laukkaing clan – to death. The crackdown is part of a broader Chinese campaign to dismantle scam networks operating in Southeast Asia and serves as a warning to other criminal syndicates. China has been actively pressuring the Myanmar junta to address the issue, and began receiving alleged warlords from Myanmar earlier this year. Cybercrime is a growing global threat, and China’s actions demonstrate its commitment to protecting its citizens from these operations.
Officials stated that the severe punishments are intended to deter others from engaging in similar crimes against Chinese citizens, regardless of their location.
