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One Chinese judicial body has handed down death sentences to five leading individuals of a well-known Myanmar organized crime group to death as Beijing maintains its crackdown on scam networks in the region.

Overall, twenty-one Bai family figures and partners were found guilty of fraud, murder, assault and other offenses, said a state media report published on the judicial website.

This clan is one of a small number of mafias that rose to power in the 2000s and converted the poor isolated region of Laukkaing into a wealthy center of casinos and red-light districts.

In recent years they shifted to fraudulent schemes in which numerous of smuggled people, a large number of them Chinese, are caught, abused and compelled to scam targets in unlawful enterprises worth billions of dollars.

Specifics of the Verdict

Mafia leader Bai Suocheng and his son Bai Yingcang were among the group of figures sentenced to execution by the court in Shenzhen. Yang Liqiang, Hu Xiaojiang and Chen Guangyi were the remaining sentenced.

A couple of figures of the clan mafia were given delayed executions. Five were sentenced to life imprisonment, while additional individuals were received jail sentences ranging from several years to two decades.

The clan, who led their own armed group, established 41 bases to house their online fraud operations and gambling houses, authorities reported.

Magnitude of Unlawful Operations

These unlawful operations entailed more than 29 billion yuan ($4.1bn; £3.1 billion). They also led to the demise of six from China citizens, the self-inflicted death of an individual and numerous injuries, official sources announced.

The severe sentences issued by the court are within China's campaign to eradicate the large fraud networks in the region - and issue a stern warning to additional unlawful syndicates.

Background of the Groups

These clans rose to power in the 2000s with the support of a military leader - who now leads the country's military government. The leader had wanted to bolster allies in the town after removing its earlier warlord.

Within the clans, the Bais were "the most powerful", Bai Yingcang before stated to state media.

"At that time, our Bai family was the leading in each of the government and armed spheres," the individual said in a film about the clan, aired on national media in the summer.

During the documentary, a employee at one of fraud facilities described the mistreatment he had experienced at the location: besides being assaulted, he had his fingernails yanked out with tools and a couple of his fingers severed with a kitchen knife.

More Allegations

Bai Yingcang is included in those who were sentenced to execution in the latest ruling. He has additionally been separately sentenced of conspiring to trade and make a large quantity of illegal drugs, reports announced.

Downfall of the Clans

The families' end occurred in recent times as situations shifted.

For years Beijing has encouraged the local government to limit fraudulent operations in the area.

Last year, the law enforcement announced legal actions for the leading individuals of such groups.

The patriarch, the clan's patriarch, was included in the warlords who were transferred to Beijing from Myanmar in the beginning of the year.

For what reason is the Chinese government putting such extensive work to pursue the groups?" a expert commented in the summer documentary.

This serves as a warning groups, regardless of your position, your base, when you commit these heinous offenses against the nationals, you will pay the price."