China's No-Nonsense Crackdown on a Notorious Mafia Family

Tue Feb 03 2026 15:53:04 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a swift and decisive move, China has executed 11 members of the Ming family, a notorious organized crime group from Myanmar, highlighting the country's tough stance on organized crime.

China has executed 11 members of the Ming crime family, notorious for their brutality in running scams and exploiting workers. The Ming family's hold on Laukkaing, Myanmar, was notorious, with human rights abuses rampant in their operations. This crackdown comes amid growing pressure on China to address crime linked to its citizens abroad.

No-one should be surprised that China has swiftly executed the 11 members of an organized crime family from north-eastern Myanmar who were sentenced to death in September.

China executes more people than anywhere else in the world, according to human rights groups – the exact figure is a state secret. Officials are often executed for corruption. The accusations made against the Ming family were far more serious.

The Ming, Bau, Wei, and Liu clans have dominated the remote border town of Laukkaing in Myanmar's impoverished Shan state since 2009. They rose to power after General Min Aung Hlaing, the current coup leader in Myanmar, led a military operation to drive out the MNDAA, an ethnic insurgent army dominating Laukkaing since the 1980s.

The families transitioned from opium production to running casinos and online fraud, all while maintaining close ties to Myanmar's military. Their brutal tactics drew ire as they lured tens of thousands of workers, primarily from China, into their scam operations under false pretenses of good jobs. Many ended up tortured or trapped.

The Ming family's notoriety peaked with the 'Crouching Tiger Villa,' notorious for severe human rights abuses. In an attempt to escape, guards killed several Chinese nationals in October 2023. This incident prompted Chinese authorities to take decisive action against the family.

Because of China's pressure, the MNDAA and its allies regained control over Laukkaing, leading to the detention of the family's leaders and the handing over of over 60 associates to Chinese police, further highlighting the crackdown on organized crime.

This incident reflects China's resolve to address crime linked to its citizens, showing no tolerance for the Ming family's brutality and signaling serious consequences for organized crime across borders.