China Executes Four Members of Bai Family Mafia
China has executed four members of the Bai family mafia, a notorious criminal dynasty that operated scam centres in Myanmar, according to state media reports.
These individuals were among 21 members and associates of the Bai family convicted by a court in Guangdong province on charges including fraud, homicide, injury, and other crimes.
In November of the previous year, the court sentenced five members of the clan to death, including the patriarch Bai Suocheng. Bai Suocheng died of illness following his conviction, state media reported.
Recent Executions and Crackdown on Scam Operations
Last week, China executed 11 members of the Ming family mafia as part of a broader crackdown on scam operations in Southeast Asia that have victimized thousands of Chinese nationals.
For many years, the Bai and Ming families, along with several other clans, dominated the border town of Laukkaing in Myanmar. They controlled casinos, red-light districts, and cyberscam operations in the area.
The Bais were "number one", Bai Suocheng's son stated to state media after his detention.
Authorities reported that the Bai family maintained their own militia and established 41 compounds dedicated to cyberscam activities and casinos. Within these compounds, a culture of violence prevailed, with beatings and torture being routine.
The criminal activities of the Bai family resulted in the deaths of six Chinese citizens, the suicide of one individual, and multiple injuries, according to the court.
Rise and Fall of the Bai Family in Laukkaing
The Bai family rose to prominence in Laukkaing in the early 2000s after the town's then-warlord was ousted during a military operation led by Min Aung Hlaing, who currently heads Myanmar's military government.
Min Aung Hlaing sought cooperative allies, and Bai Suocheng, who had served as the warlord's deputy, became a suitable partner.
However, the criminal empires of the Bai and other families collapsed in 2023 when Beijing, frustrated by the Myanmar military's failure to act against the scam operations, tacitly supported an offensive by ethnic insurgents in the region. This offensive marked a significant turning point in Myanmar's civil war.
The offensive led to the capture of the scam mafias, whose members were subsequently handed over to Beijing.
State Media and Deterrence Messaging
In China, these individuals became subjects of state documentaries highlighting the authorities' determination to dismantle scam networks.
With the recent executions, Beijing appears to be sending a strong deterrent message to potential scammers.
Human Trafficking and Scam Networks in Southeast Asia
According to United Nations estimates, hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked to operate online scams in Myanmar and other parts of Southeast Asia.
Among those trafficked are thousands of Chinese nationals. The victims of these scams, who lose billions of dollars, are predominantly Chinese as well.
