China Executes 11 in Crackdown on Transnational Gambling Ring
China has carried out the execution of 11 individuals convicted of running a vast cross‑border gambling and fraud operation, state prosecutors and local court notices show.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The Zhejiang provincial court found the defendants – identified by authorities as key members of the so‑called Ming crime family – guilty of a string of serious offences, including murder, illegal detention, large‑scale fraud and operating illegal gambling networks. Among those put to death were alleged leaders Ming Guoping and Ming Zhenzhen, and senior lieutenants Zhou Weichang, Wu Hongming and Luao Jianzhang.
Authorities say the criminal organisation operated from Myanmar and ran an estimated $1.4 billion gambling enterprise between 2015 and 2023 that targeted Chinese nationals at home and abroad. The court concluded that the group’s activities led to the deaths of at least 14 Chinese citizens and caused widespread financial and social harm.
Members of the ring were detained in 2023 by an ethnic militia in the borderlands and subsequently transferred to Chinese law enforcement. Trials concluded in September, after which a range of penalties were imposed: while 11 received the death sentence, more than 20 others in the same network drew lighter punishments, with some jailed for five years and others serving life terms.
The case is the latest and most severe example of Beijing’s aggressive posture toward illegal gambling and organised crime that operates across Southeast Asia. Chinese authorities have repeatedly framed cross‑border gambling syndicates as a national security and public‑order priority, mobilising diplomatic and policing resources to secure arrests and extraditions in neighbouring states.
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China's Cross-Border Enforcement Strategy
Over the past five years, Beijing has ramped up efforts to curb offshore gambling platforms and related criminal activity. The crackdown has reached into the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, where authorities have coordinated arrests, closed operations and repatriated suspects. In recent months, Cambodia extradited a high‑profile businessman accused of running a large cryptocurrency scam to China, underscoring Beijing’s ability to press regional partners into cooperation.
Experts say the Ming family case illustrates both the scale of organised gambling fraud and China’s willingness to use heavy penalties to deter networks that prey on its citizens. "This prosecution is about more than punishment; it is a signal to organised crime that cross‑border impunity will not be tolerated," said Dr. Zhang Li, a criminologist who researches transnational organised crime. "The deaths attributed to the ring and the high monetary value of the operation made it a priority case for prosecutors and diplomats alike."
Human rights groups and some foreign observers have criticized the harshness of China’s criminal penalties and questioned aspects of transparency in trials of this kind. "Swift and severe sentences can be an effective deterrent, but they must be matched with clear legal safeguards and independent review to ensure fairness", said Professor Michael Turner, an international criminal law scholar at the University of Melbourne. "Without transparency, such cases raise legitimate concerns about due process and the risk of miscarriages of justice."
Chinese officials defend the actions as necessary for protecting citizens from kidnapping, extortion and trafficking that have long been associated with offshore gambling rings. Beijing also points to a drop in reported kidnappings and human‑trafficking incidents involving Chinese nationals as evidence that its regional approach has had measurable results.
Investigations into remaining members of the Ming network and affiliated cells are ongoing, Chinese prosecutors said, and authorities indicated they will continue to pursue cross‑border cooperation to dismantle similar criminal enterprises.
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