Six sentenced to death over organized crimes

Six people convicted in connection with organized crime gangs are sentenced to death at two courts in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality Oct. 21, 2009. [Xinhua]
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.


An armed policeman guards outside the trial at No.1 Intermediate People's Court, in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Oct. 21, 2009.[Xinhua]
They were also convicted of illegally possessing guns or ammunition, false imprisonment, robbery and extortion and forging resident identity cards, it said.

Meanwhile, Chongqing's No 3 Intermediate People's Court handed down death penalty to Liu Zhongyong on charges of organizing criminal gangs and murder.

Liu was also accused of running illegal coal mines in the suburbs of Chongqing and was held responsible for two cave-ins in 2006 and 2008 that together killed three workers.

His 22-member gang was responsible for the killing of one person and the injuring of at least four others in Chongqing last year, a court statement said.

Liu's right-hand man Zheng Xin received death penalty with a two-year reprieve.

The other 20 members were jailed for one to 17 years.

Courts in Chongqing began hearing the cases last week.

Another 23 suspects were on trial on similar charges Monday and Tuesday at the Chongqing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court. The court will hand down sentences on a separate occasion.


Policemen are seen during the trial at No. 1 Intermediate People's Court, in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Oct. 21, 2009. [Xinhua]
Twin brothers Zhang Bo and Zhang Tao, aged 23, were accused of running the 24-member gang that ran an illegal casino in Wanzhou District, injured six people over the past two years and illegally detained a man for more than 24 hours.

Gang member Deng Dexiang, the casino manager, is still at large.

Source: Xinhua