A Chinese court has sentenced 11 prominent members of the infamous Ming clan to death, bringing an end to their reign over a sprawling criminal network valued at nearly $1.4 billion.
The ruling came yesterday at the Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Zhejiang Province during the closing session of their high-profile trial.
The Ming family had earned a reputation for orchestrating large-scale criminal enterprises, including mass phishing schemes, fraudulent investment operations, extortion, illicit gambling, heroin production, and trafficking women into forced prostitution. Their vast underworld empire thrived on telecom scams, narcotics, and human exploitation.
At the center of the syndicate was Ming Xuechang, a dual Chinese-Myanmar citizen who established his base of power in Myanmar’s Kokang region. Those condemned to face the firing squad include his son Ming Guoping, cousin Ming Julan, and granddaughter Ming Zhenzhen.
Xuechang himself never stood trial—he committed suicide in November 2023 while in detention in Yunnan after being captured by Chinese authorities.