China courts sentence six to death over organized crimes

Six people convicted in connection with organized crime gangs were sentenced Tuesday to death at two courts in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

The No. 1 Intermediate People's Court handed down death sentences to Yang Tianqing and Liu Chenghu, who were convicted of organizing a nine-member criminal gang and murder, a court statement said.

Yang, the 35-year-old gang leader, was also fined 500,000 yuan, it said.

Two other members of the gang, Jian Shaokun and Zeng Chuan, were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, the document said.

The other five members received jail terms from 11 years to life.

The court statement said the gang's crimes spanned the past eight years and involved killings of four people and intentionally injuring at least six.

They were also convicted of illegally possessing guns or ammunition, false imprisonment, robbery and extortion and forging resident identity cards, it said.


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