China's Supreme People's Court said in a statement Thursday that 1,279 people were sentenced to death or prison terms of five years to life in 2008 in cases involving organized crime.

Courts at all levels tried 473 such cases involving 5,066 suspects last year, up 27 percent over the previous year. The courts convicted 2,774 people in 273 cases, with 46 percent of those convicted receiving "severe" penalties, according to the Supreme Court.

"All the courts strictly followed the law, legal regulations and criminal law policies" and helped maintain social order, the court said in a press release.

In November 2008, local courts in central Hubei Province gave death sentences to Li Jun, Sun Jun and Chen Zhongqiao, the leaders of a local criminal group that killed five people and seriously injured one in the provincial capital of Wuhan from 1998 to 2008. The other 18 defendants were also penalized according to the criminal law.

"The convictions enhanced the local people's confidence in the justice system," said the press release.

Courts at all levels would continue efforts to punish those involved in organized crime and guarantee a stable social environment in 2009, it said.

Source: Xinhua