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A Chinese court has condemned five leading individuals of a notorious Myanmar mafia to capital punishment as Beijing persists in its campaign on fraudulent activities in the region.

Overall, 21 clan members and associates were found guilty of fraud, homicide, assault and various offenses, said a state media document published on the court website.

The family is one of a few of organized crime groups that became dominant in the 2000s and changed the poor remote area of Laukkaing into a lucrative base of casinos and red-light districts.

Over the past few years they turned to fraudulent schemes in which many of smuggled people, many of them from China, are trapped, mistreated and compelled to defraud others in criminal enterprises valued at billions.

Details of the Judgment

Syndicate head Bai Suocheng and his offspring Bai Yingcang were among the several figures condemned to death by the court in Shenzhen. Another individual, Hu Xiaojiang and A fourth person were the other three convicted.

Two figures of the Bai family mafia were handed conditional death penalties. Several were sentenced to life in prison, while more figures were handed prison terms between three to 20 years.

The Bais, who controlled their own armed group, created 41 bases to accommodate their cyberscam operations and casinos, government said.

Extent of Unlawful Operations

These criminal activities entailed over twenty-nine billion Chinese yuan ($4.1bn; over three billion pounds). These activities also caused the demise of six from China citizens, the self-inflicted death of one and numerous assaults, reports stated.

The severe sentences issued by the judicial body are within the Chinese campaign to remove the vast scam networks in South East Asia - and issue a strong warning to additional unlawful syndicates.

History of the Families

Such clans became dominant in the recent decades with the help of a prominent figure - who is in charge of Myanmar's military government. The leader had aimed to prop up allies in the town after removing its previous ruler.

Within the families, the this family were "absolutely number one", the son earlier informed state media.

Back then, our Bai family was the leading in each of the government and military circles," the individual remarked in a report about the clan, broadcast on national media in July.

In the same film, a worker at a their scam centres described the harm he had endured at the location: in addition to being assaulted, he had his nails removed with pliers and a couple of his digits cut off with a blade.

More Accusations

Bai Yingcang is among those who were given to execution recently. He has additionally been separately found guilty of planning to smuggle and produce 11 tonnes of narcotics, reports stated.

Decline of the Clans

Their end occurred in recent times as circumstances shifted.

Previously Beijing has pressed the regime to rein in scam activities in Laukkaing.

Last year, the authorities announced legal actions for the key figures of such clans.

Bai Suocheng, the clan's patriarch, was included in the figures who were handed to Beijing from Myanmar in the beginning of the year.

For what reason is the Chinese government making such extensive work to go after the four families?" a official commented in the July report.

This serves as a warning individuals, regardless of who you are, your location, if you carry out such serious acts against the citizens, you will pay the price."