Chinese Courts Take Action Against ‘Four Families’ Gangs, 16 Sentenced to Death

Beijing – Chinese courts have completed the trials of two major telecom and online fraud groups operating in northern Myanmar. The Supreme People’s Court provided information on this during a press conference on Thursday.

According to the Supreme People’s Court, by the end of 2025, courts across the country had completed first-instance trials of over 27,000 cases related to telecom fraud operations in northern Myanmar. More than 41,000 repatriated suspects have been sentenced.

Notably, all judicial proceedings have been completed for cases involving the Ming and Bai groups, which were among the internationally notorious “four major families” criminal organizations. These two cross-border armed criminal groups have been completely dismantled, delivering a heavy blow to criminals both domestically and abroad.

A total of 39 individuals from these two groups have received sentences of life imprisonment or heavier penalties, with 16 of them sentenced to death.

According to the Supreme People’s Court, Chinese courts have been imposing stringent, effective, and comprehensive punishments on telecom and online fraud crimes to effectively safeguard the personal and property safety of the people. From 2021 to 2025, courts nationwide concluded over 159,000 first-instance cases of telecom and online fraud, sentencing more than 338,000 defendants.

Significantly, while the number of concluded cases and sentenced defendants saw year-on-year increases of 48.4 percent and 38.6 percent respectively in 2023, and 29.4 percent and 26.7 percent respectively in 2024, the growth rate slowed markedly in 2025, with increases of only 1.2 percent and 4.5 percent respectively. This positive trend demonstrates the effectiveness of judicial authorities’ efforts in combating such crimes.

This action highlights China’s firm approach to cross-border crime control and the importance of international cooperation.