A Chinese court has sentenced to death 11 members of a notorious family that ran scam centres in Myanmar, according to Chinese state media.

Dozens of members of the Ming family were found guilty of conducting criminal activities, with many receiving lengthy jail sentences.

The Ming family worked for one of the four clans that turned Myanmar's Laukkai town, close to the border with China, into a hub for gambling, drugs, and scams.

In a crackdown earlier this year, Myanmar authorities arrested many members of these families and handed them over to Chinese officials.

A total of 39 Ming family members were sentenced on Monday in Wenzhou, China. Besides the 11 death sentences, five received death sentences with two-year suspensions; 11 were jailed for life; and others received sentences ranging from five to 24 years.

Since 2015, the Ming family and affiliated groups engaged in numerous illegal activities, generating over 10 billion yuan (approximately $1.4 billion) from telecommunications fraud, illegal gambling, drug trafficking, and prostitution.

The court also noted the family's role in worker fatalities at scam centres, including violent incidents to prevent escape attempts.

Initially developed to profit from Chinese demand for gambling, Laukkai's casinos mutated into facilities for money laundering and trafficking, described by the UN as part of a 'scamdemic' affecting over 100,000 foreign nationals.

Once powerful players in Myanmar’s Shan State, the Ming family operated under conditions of extreme violence, with reports of severe abuse at their scam centres.

Amidst increasing military pressure in the region, the family lost power, and many members have been captured, with some expressing remorse.

China’s recent sentences reflect its resolve to combat the cross-border scam industry's influence while maintaining pressure on neighboring countries to tackle similar illicit activities.

While these efforts may disrupt some operations, aspects of the scam industry are reportedly shifting to neighboring regions like Cambodia.