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75 jailed for gang crimes in S. China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-12 01:22

GUANGZHOU -- Seventy-five people of two criminal gangs got jail terms up to life in two separate trials in a court in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province Friday.

The Intermediate People's Court of Guangzhou handed down the sentences at the first instance to 34 people on charges of 11 crimes including organizing, leading and participating mafia-style organizations, intentional injury, vandalism and illegal possession of drugs and guns.

Li Guiting and Li Haotan, leaders of the gang, were sentenced to life in prison. Another four principal members got jail terms ranging from 15 to 20 years. Others were sentenced to less than 15 years in prison, according to a first-instance verdict.

The gang killed one person and injured six others, the verdict said.

The organization monopolized barrel water wholesales and parking lot businesses by forcing out competitors with violence in Baiyuan District of Guangzhou City. It also ran underground casinos and interfered in village affairs to monopolize local construction projects, according to the verdict.

In a separate trial, the same court sentenced 41 people of another gang, convicted of 12 crimes including organizing, leading and participating mafia-style organization, kidnapping, robbery and blackmail to jail terms ranging from life to 45 months.

Li Zhong and Dai Hongliang, the two chief culprits, were sentenced to life in prison. The other criminals got different jail terms less than 20 years.

Four minors got jail terms between 45 months and 66 months.

The court found that the gang monopolized rolled steel supply to 21 construction sites in Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Yunfu, Heyuan, Zhongshan, Huizhou, and Qingyuan cities by means of violence and threatening.

They cut up steel supply from other companies by setting up roadblocks, beating, robbing, blackmailing and threatening the drivers and staff of competitors, according to the court verdict.

The gang is involved in 17 cases of fraud, 19 cases of blackmails and 5 cases of kidnapping. Li Zhong participated in 12 fraud cases, involving 4.15 million yuan, according to the verdict.

The police seized 13 vehicles, 11 guns and 86 bullets which were illegally possessed by the gang.