China sentences to death Myanmar scam clan members

A Chinese court sentenced three members of the Wei family criminal gang to death on Tuesday for their role in running a network of scam centers in Myanmar’s Kokang region bordering China. The court, the Quanzhou Intermediate People’s Court, also jailed 55 more gang members and handed down life sentences to three others. The Wei clan, described by China’s state broadcaster as the "most violent criminal force in northern Myanmar", allegedly operated 14 large-scale scam compounds and lured Chinese nationals with false promises of high wages.

The gang was involved in drug trafficking, prostitution, illegal casinos, telecommunications fraud, and the murder of at least two Chinese citizens. Wei Huairen, identified as one of the leaders, was found guilty of several crimes including murder. The gang’s operations generated more than 12.2 billion yuan ($1.8 billion). The indictment against the Wei family began in October 2025, and in January 2025, China executed 11 people from another criminal family, the Ming clan, for similar offenses.