44 jailed for mafia-style crime in China

Beijing: A local court today sentenced 44 people, including two leaders, to jail terms varying from 10 months to 25 years in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for their involvement in a mafia-style gang activities.

The Dahua Yao Autonomous County under Hechi City court in judgement said leaders of the gang, surnamed Ma and Li, have known each other since they were young.

They organised the gang, many of whose members were released prisoners or unemployed, it said.

From 2010 to 2014, the gang carried out a series of criminal activities and destroyed social order by illegally controlling food markets, entertainment venues and other sites in Yizhou City under Hechi.

They made over 500,000 yuan (USD 72,479) in profits from extortion, forced transactions and underground gambling operations.

The gang was also found to illegally possess guns, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The gang leaders were given prison terms of 25 and 22 years and were fined 110,000 yuan (USD 15,940) and 85,000 (USD 12319) yuan respectively.

Personal assets of 500,000 yuan (USD 72,465) were confiscated from each of them.

The other 42 people involved were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 months to 20 years. The trial lasted 19 days.