China executes 11 members of Myanmar-based telecom fraud syndicate

(ECNS) — China has executed 11 members of a Myanmar-based telecom fraud criminal syndicate that committed multiple violent crimes, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said on Thursday.

The criminal activities of the group involved more than 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) in illicit funds. The syndicate also committed violent crimes such as intentional homicide, intentional injury, and illegal detention against fraud-related personnel, resulting in the deaths of 14 Chinese citizens.

On Sept. 29, 2025, the Intermediate People's Court of Wenzhou City in east China's Zhejiang Province sentenced Ming Guoping, Ming Zhenzhen and nine others to death for their crimes. The defendants later appealed the verdict.

After a second-instance trial, the Zhejiang Provincial High People's Court rejected their appeals on Nov. 25, 2025, upheld the original judgment and submitted the case to the SPC for review and approval.

Upon review, the SPC confirmed that since 2015, the criminal syndicate led by Ming Guoping and Ming Zhenzhen had established multiple compounds in Kokang, northern Myanmar, engaging in telecom fraud and illegal gambling under armed protection.

The SPC ruled that the crimes were extremely serious, with particularly grave circumstances and consequences. The court found that the facts were clear, the evidence sufficient, the convictions accurate and the sentencing appropriate, and approved the death sentences in accordance with the law.

Following the approval, the Wenzhou court carried out the executions in accordance with legal procedures. The criminals' close relatives were allowed to meet them prior to execution. 

(By Evelyn)