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One China's court has handed down death sentences to five leading figures of an infamous Myanmar mafia to execution as Beijing maintains its efforts on scam networks in South East Asia.

Altogether, 21 Bai family individuals and collaborators were sentenced of fraud, murder, assault and additional offenses, said a official announcement released on the judicial portal.

The family is one of a small number of mafias that rose to power in the last two decades and changed the impoverished backwater town of Laukkaing into a profitable hub of gambling establishments and red-light districts.

Over the past few years they pivoted to illegal operations in which numerous of trafficked individuals, many of them from China, are trapped, abused and forced to defraud victims in criminal activities valued at billions.

Details of the Sentencing

Mafia head Bai Suocheng and his offspring Bai Yingcang were included in the five men given to execution by the judicial body. Another individual, Hu Xiaojiang and Chen Guangyi were the remaining sentenced.

A couple of individuals of the Bai family mafia were given suspended death sentences. Five were sentenced to life in prison, while additional individuals were received prison terms ranging from several years to two decades.

The Bais, who controlled their own armed group, created 41 compounds to accommodate their digital scam operations and gambling houses, officials said.

Scale of Criminal Schemes

Such criminal operations involved more than 29bn yuan (over four billion dollars; £3.1 billion). These activities also caused the deaths of several from China nationals, the self-inflicted death of an individual and numerous harm, reports announced.

The harsh punishments delivered by the court are part of China's effort to eradicate the large scam rings in the region - and send a stern signal to other criminal groups.

Context of the Groups

These clans gained influence in the 2000s with the assistance of Min Aung Hlaing - who is in charge of Myanmar's military government. He had aimed to prop up partners in Laukkaing after removing its earlier leader.

Among the families, the Bais were "absolutely number one", Bai Yingcang before informed state media.

Back then, our Bai family was the dominant in both the political and armed circles," he stated in a report about the clan, shown on official channels in the summer.

During the film, a individual at their fraud facilities narrated the mistreatment he had endured there: in addition to being hit, he had his nails extracted with instruments and two of his digits amputated with a blade.

More Accusations

The son is among those who were condemned to death this week. The individual has also been separately sentenced of conspiring to smuggle and make eleven tons of narcotics, state media reported.

Decline of the Clans

Their end came in recent times as situations altered.

Previously Chinese authorities has urged the Myanmar junta to limit scam activities in Laukkaing.

Last year, the Chinese police announced arrest warrants for the key members of these families.

Bai Suocheng, the Bai family's leader, was included in the individuals who were extradited to China from the country in early 2024.

"Why is the state making significant resources to go after the groups?" a Chinese investigator commented in the July film.

This serves as a warning groups, regardless of your identity, your base, as long as you commit these terrible crimes affecting the nationals, you will be held accountable."