• China's Shenzhen court sentenced five members of a Myanmar crime syndicate to death for fraud.
• Criminal activities included telecom fraud, gambling, and homicide linked to at least six Chinese deaths.
• A total of 21 individuals associated with the Bai family were convicted, with various sentences handed down.
• The scale of their operations exceeded $4 billion, alongside significant drug trafficking activities.
• This crackdown reflects China's intensified collaboration with Southeast Asian nations to combat transnational crime.

A notorious Myanmar crime syndicate boss, Bai Suocheng, and his associates were sentenced to death by a Chinese court for their roles in extensive fraud operations that resulted in the deaths of six Chinese citizens. The Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court also convicted 21 members of the Bai crime family for a range of serious offenses, which included illegal gambling and defrauding Chinese nationals, with the group's activities reportedly exceeding 29 billion yuan (approximately US$4 billion) in losses, according to SCMP, Channel News Asia, and BBC.

The court confirmed that the Bai syndicate operated in Myanmar's Kokang region, establishing 41 compounds where instigators forced Chinese nationals to engage in criminal activities like telecom fraud and illegal gambling. Their operations were under armed protection and included direct involvement in violent crimes such as homicide and human trafficking, as reported by Channel News Asia and CBS News.

Among the sentenced, Bai Suocheng, his son Bai Yingcang, and three associates received direct death sentences, while additional members received life imprisonment, and others were given prison sentences ranging from three to 20 years. Notably, two were given suspended death sentences, a ruling that could lead to life in prison, according to SCMP, Channel News Asia, and BBC.

Chinese authorities have been increasingly concerned about the scams emanating from Myanmar, where many Chinese nationals are reportedly trafficked into work under duress. The ongoing campaigns against these crime syndicates indicate Beijing's commitment to address crimes affecting its nationals, as well as broader regional cooperation to tackle such transnational organized crime, highlighted by reports from CBS News, Channel News Asia, and BBC.