By MPATV
China: A Chinese court has handed death sentences to five senior members of Myanmar’s notorious Bai family mafia, intensifying Beijing’s sweeping campaign against cross-border scam operations across Southeast Asia.
According to a state media report published on the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court website, a total of 21 members and associates of the Bai family were convicted of fraud, homicide, intentional injury, and a range of other serious crimes.
The Rise of the Bai Family Empire
The Bai family is one of several powerful crime syndicates that rose to prominence in the early 2000s, transforming the once-impoverished border town of Laukkaing in northern Myanmar’s Shan State into a booming center of casinos, nightlife, and red-light districts. What began as gambling empires eventually evolved into sprawling criminal operations.
In recent years, the Bai clan shifted its focus to online scam networks, trapping thousands of trafficked workers—many of them Chinese nationals—who were abused, tortured, and forced to commit financial fraud as part of billion-dollar criminal schemes.
Death Sentences and Heavy Penalties
Those sentenced to death include Bai Suocheng, the patriarch of the Bai family, and his son Bai Yingcang, along with Yang Liqiang, Hu Xiaojiang, and Chen Guangyi. Two other Bai members received suspended death sentences, while five were given life imprisonment, and nine others were sentenced to between three and twenty years in prison.
Authorities said the Bais operated their own armed militia and controlled 41 compounds used for cyberscam activities and casino operations. The family’s enterprises generated more than 29 billion yuan ($4.1bn; £3.1bn) in illegal profits and were linked to the deaths of six Chinese citizens, the suicide of one, and numerous injuries, according to state media.
Beijing’s Expanding Anti-Scam Campaign
The harsh sentences are part of China’s broader crackdown on vast scam networks operating in Southeast Asia, particularly in regions along the Myanmar border. Beijing has pledged to dismantle these criminal enterprises and deter other transnational syndicates.
In September, another Chinese court handed death sentences to 11 members of the Ming family, a rival clan also based in Laukkaing, for similar crimes.
These criminal families gained power in the 2000s with backing from Min Aung Hlaing, the current head of Myanmar’s military government, who sought to strengthen his influence in Laukkaing after ousting its previous warlord.
Among these clans, the Bais stood out as the most dominant. “At that time, our Bai family was the most powerful in both the political and military circles,” Bai Yingcang said in a state television documentary aired in July.
Accounts of Brutality and Drug Crimes
That same documentary revealed the brutal abuse faced by victims within the Bais’ compounds. A former worker described being beaten, having his fingernails ripped out with pliers, and losing two fingers after they were severed with a kitchen knife.
In addition to his death sentence, Bai Yingcang was also convicted in a separate case of trafficking and manufacturing 11 tonnes of methamphetamine, underscoring the mafia’s deep involvement in Myanmar’s drug trade.
The Fall of the Bai Clan
The downfall of the Bai family began in 2023, as shifting political conditions in Myanmar and increasing Chinese pressure forced the junta to act. For years, Beijing had urged Myanmar’s military leadership to dismantle the scam operations flourishing in Laukkaing, which had become a regional hub for organized cybercrime.
That same year, Chinese authorities issued arrest warrants for top members of Laukkaing’s four most notorious families, including the Bais. By early 2024, Bai Suocheng and other key figures were extradited to China, marking the collapse of the once-powerful criminal empire.
In a state documentary, a Chinese investigator explained the government’s determination:
“Why is the Chinese government making so much effort to go after the four families? It’s to warn other people — no matter who you are, where you are — if you commit such heinous crimes against the Chinese people, you will pay the price.”
A Message to Criminal Networks Across the Region
The death sentences and severe punishments handed down this week underscore Beijing’s resolve to stamp out the multi-billion-dollar scam industry that has trapped thousands of victims across Southeast Asia.
China’s crackdown, spanning multiple countries and criminal groups, reflects a growing regional effort to dismantle transnational cybercrime networks, while sending a clear and chilling warning: no crime against Chinese citizens will go unpunished.Â
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