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Chinese Court Hands Death Sentences to Five Myanmar Mafia Leaders
A Chinese court has sentenced five senior members of the notorious Bai family mafia to death, escalating Beijing's crackdown on cross-border scam operations in Southeast Asia, state media reported Tuesday.
The Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court convicted 21 Bai family members and associates of fraud, homicide, assault, and other crimes, according to a court statement. The syndicate, one of several that dominated the Myanmar border town of Laukkaing, shifted from casinos and vice to large-scale cyberscams in recent years, ensnaring thousands of trafficked workers-many of them Chinese-in operations worth billions.
Key Figures and Sentences
Mafia patriarch Bai Suocheng and his son Bai Yingcang were among those sentenced to death. The other three condemned were Yang Liqiang, Hu Xiaojiang, and Chen Guangyi. Two additional members received suspended death sentences, while five were handed life imprisonment. Nine others faced prison terms ranging from three to 20 years.
Authorities revealed the Bai family operated 41 compounds housing scam centers and casinos, generating over 29 billion yuan ($4.1 billion) in illicit revenue. Their crimes included the deaths of six Chinese citizens, one suicide, and multiple severe injuries, per state media reports.
Rise and Fall of the Bai Syndicate
The Bai family ascended in the 2000s under the patronage of Min Aung Hlaing, now Myanmar's military leader, who sought to replace Laukkaing's former warlord with loyal allies. Bai Yingcang once boasted to state media that the family was "absolutely number one" in both political and military influence during their peak.
Their empire crumbled in 2023 as Beijing intensified pressure on Myanmar's junta to dismantle scam hubs. Chinese police issued arrest warrants for top syndicate members, culminating in Bai Suocheng's extradition to China in early 2024. A July documentary featured testimony from a scam-center worker who described torture, including fingernails ripped out with pliers and fingers severed with a kitchen knife.
Broader Crackdown and Warnings
The sentences follow September's execution of 11 members of the Ming family, another Laukkaing clan, signaling China's zero-tolerance stance. A Chinese investigator warned in the documentary:
"No matter who you are or where you hide, if you commit heinous crimes against the Chinese people, you will pay the price."
Chinese state media documentary, July 2025
Bai Yingcang, now sentenced to death, was separately convicted of conspiring to traffic and manufacture 11 tonnes of methamphetamine, underscoring the syndicate's diversification into drug trade alongside cyberfraud.
What's Next
Analysts expect further extraditions and trials as China targets remaining scam networks in Myanmar's lawless border regions. The crackdown aligns with Beijing's broader campaign to protect citizens from transnational fraud and assert regional influence.
