China has executed 11 individuals convicted of crimes related to large-scale online and telecom fraud operations in Myanmar’s border regions, state media reported on January 29, 2026. The executions took place after a court in Wenzhou, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, upheld death sentences first imposed in September 2025 and approved by the Supreme People’s Court in Beijing. The individuals executed included key figures linked to organised scam networks that targeted victims through internet-based schemes and other criminal activity.
Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that the convicted individuals were members of criminal gangs operating in northern Myanmar, including those associated with the Ming family, which authorities described as running extensive fraud and scam centres. The convictions covered a range of offences including intentional homicide, intentional injury, unlawful detention, fraud and the operation of illegal gambling establishments. The court rulings cited evidence of crimes committed over several years and found the evidence sufficient to uphold the sentences.
The scam centres involved in the case were part of a broader network of online fraud operations that have proliferated in parts of Southeast Asia, often referred to in reporting as “scam parks.” These centres have drawn international attention for using coercion and trafficking to compel workers to conduct fraudulent schemes targeting victims across multiple countries. Chinese authorities have been cooperating with neighbours, including Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia, to dismantle such operations and repatriate suspects involved in online gambling and telecom fraud.
The executed individuals’ activities were linked with criminal syndicates that generated significant illicit funds and engaged in other criminal behaviour beyond online scams, including violence against victims and staff at the compounds. In recent years, Chinese law enforcement has intensified efforts against these transnational fraud networks, repatriating thousands of suspects to face prosecution in China and pursuing legal action against crime leaders.
The January 29 executions mark one of the most high-profile applications of the death penalty in China for offences connected to online scam operations. The case has been highlighted in Chinese reporting as part of broader campaigns to combat organised crime and protect citizens from the financial and personal harm caused by fraudulent schemes in the digital domain.