A new documentary co-produced by China's Ministry of Public Security and CCTV premiered on October 5, revealing that during peak periods, Mengbo alone in the Wa State sheltered 265 scam dens housing nearly 60,000 personnel. The episode documented extreme abuse, including a smuggled victim who was beaten, repeatedly resold over an alleged 70,000-yuan debt, and ultimately forced to undergo kidney harvesting to pay it off. Meanwhile, kingpins hoarded staggering amounts of cash—one boss had to air out stockpiled banknotes to prevent mildew and failed to notice when guards stole 10 million yuan.
The documentary also disclosed operational details behind the crackdowns. In September 2023, senior Wa State commander Bao Junfeng was detained in Kunming, yielding troves of luxury watches and vehicles. Following the October 20 shootout at a Ming family-controlled compound that left four dead, Chinese investigators entered Crouching Tiger Villa to unearth buried bodies. Major ringleaders, including key figures of the Ming family and Kokang's Four Big Families like Bai Suocheng and Liu Zhengxiang, were handed over to Chinese authorities on January 30, 2024, dealing a heavy blow to the gangs that had ruled Kokang for years.
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