11 Death Sentences in Myanmar-North Cyber Fraud Case: Over 10 Billion Yuan Involved

On January 29, 2026, the Supreme People's Court of China ratified death sentences for 11 core members of the Ming criminal syndicate, including Ming Guoping, Ming Zhenzhen, Zhou Weichang, Wu Hongming, Wu Senlong, and Fu Yubin. The Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court carried out the executions. This case represents the most severe sentencing in recent years for overseas telecom fraud, involving over 10 billion yuan in fraudulent and gambling funds, resulting in 14 Chinese citizens dead and 6 injured. The CCTV documentary "The Fall of Northern Myanmar Cyber Fraud" provides the first comprehensive look at the syndicate's criminal operations. The Ming family established their base in the Kokang region of northern Myanmar around 2015, building an extensive network of fraud parks in areas including Guogan Old Street, Shiyuanzi, and Qingshui River. The group operated not only telecom fraud but also casinos, drug trafficking, and organized prostitution. The documentary reveals the internal operations of these fraud parks. Park operators provided venues, armed security, dormitories, and script training, recruiting "gold sponsors" to establish fraud teams. These sponsors recruited team leaders and scammers who used various tactics including fake investment schemes, fake refund scams, impersonation of law enforcement, and pig-butchering romance scams. Wu Hongming, one of the executed "gold sponsors," stated plainly in the documentary: "Wolves are born to eat meat, and lions are born to eat sheep." This was not rhetoric but a direct description of the park's survival-of-the-fittest rules. Those failing to meet performance quotas were fined, beaten, and forced to sign high-value IOUs. Some returned victims reported being taken to farmhouses for persecution. The most shocking incident was the October 20, 2023 shooting, where armed personnel opened indiscriminate fire on Chinese nationals attempting to leave the park, causing multiple casualties. Cross-border law enforcement proved extremely difficult initially, as these criminal groups relied on local armed forces and viewed the national border as their shield. The task force eventually advanced the case through Sino-Myanmar police cooperation involving cross-border evidence collection, extradition, and transfer. Notably, traditional fraud parks have not disappeared but continuously changed their methods. Recent data shows new suspected fraud bases in the Myawaddy area constructed within just two months. Meanwhile, pig-butchering scams continue to evolve, now featuring AI face-swapping technology, cryptocurrency investment schemes, and precise targeting of emotionally vulnerable individuals on dating apps and social platforms. The Ming case marks a significant breakthrough in China's cross-border law enforcement capabilities. However, while parks can be dismantled and armed forces can be defeated, fraud scripts continue to evolve. According to Ministry of Public Security data, police conducted door-to-door counseling sessions 29.26 million times in 2023 alone. The core message remains: online romance combined with investment proposals is always fraud, and anyone requesting transfers, investments, or downloads of unknown apps should be rejected immediately.