A Chinese court has sentenced five senior members of the notorious Bai family mafia to death, part of a wider conviction of 21 family members and associates for fraud, homicide, injury and other crimes.

The Bais ran a criminal empire based in Laukkaing that evolved from casinos and red‑light districts into massive cyberscam operations exploiting trafficked workers, many of them Chinese.

Authorities say their networks ran 41 compounds, generated more than ¥29 billion (about $4.1bn) and caused multiple deaths, suicides and severe injuries amid documented abuse and torture.

Among those condemned to death were mafia boss Bai Suocheng and his son Bai Yingcang, who was also convicted of trafficking and methamphetamine offences, The BBC has reported.

The harsh penalties are part of a broader Chinese campaign targeting Southeast Asian scam syndicates and follow Beijing’s pressure on Myanmar and recent extraditions of suspected warlords.