China has executed 11 people linked to online scam centres in Myanmar, according to state media, as Beijing toughens its crackdown on the illegal operations. In November, Chinese authorities sentenced five people to death for their involvement in scam operations in Myanmar’s Kokang region. The United Nations estimates that as many as 120,000 people may be working in online scam centres in Myanmar. Online scam operations have proliferated in Cambodia since the COVID-19 pandemic, when the global shutdown saw many Chinese-owned casinos and hotels in the country pivot to illicit operations. In October, the United States and United Kingdom announced sweeping sanctions against the Cambodia-based Prince Group network for running a chain of “scam centres” in Cambodia, Myanmar and across the region.