4 Myanmar syndicate members executed

Four members of a family-run criminal syndicate based in northern Myanmar have been executed after the Supreme People's Court approved their death sentences, China's top court said on Monday.

The executions were carried out by the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court in Guangdong province, where the four had been convicted of multiple crimes, including intentional homicide, intentional injury and fraud, the court said.

According to the SPC, the offenders were allowed to meet with their family members before the executions in accordance with the law.

The case stems from a ruling issued by the Shenzhen court in November 2025, in which five members of the syndicate were sentenced to death. One of them, Bay Saw Chain, later died of illness. The remaining four appealed the verdict.

In December, the Guangdong High People's Court rejected their appeals and upheld the original ruling. Under Chinese law, all death sentences must be reviewed and approved by the SPC before they can be carried out.

In a statement released on Monday, the top court said the criminal group, led by Bay Yin Chin, had established multiple compounds in Kokang, a region in northern Myanmar, through self-construction and joint development. The group recruited numerous financiers to operate there and provided them with armed protection, according to the statement.

Working with these backers, the syndicate engaged in a wide range of criminal activities, including telecom fraud, illegal gambling, intentional homicide, intentional injury, kidnapping, extortion, and organizing and forcing prostitution, the court said.

Authorities said the funds involved in gambling and fraud exceeded 29 billion yuan ($4.2 billion). The crimes resulted in the deaths of six Chinese citizens and injuries to several others.

Bay Yin Chin was also found to have colluded with others to smuggle and manufacture approximately 11 metric tons of methamphetamine, the statement said.

The SPC said the crimes committed by the four ringleaders were "particularly egregious", with exceptionally serious circumstances and consequences. Their actions posed a grave threat to public safety and social order, warranting severe punishment under the law, it said.

The court said the original ruling was based on clear facts, sufficient evidence and accurate convictions. It added that sentencing was appropriate and legal procedures were properly followed, leading to approval of the death sentences.

In recent years, China and Myanmar have intensified joint law enforcement efforts, particularly targeting telecom fraud and cross-border organized crime. As cooperation has expanded, a growing number of cases involving overseas criminal networks have entered China's judicial system.