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A Chinese judicial body has condemned a group of leading figures of a notorious Burmese mafia to execution as Chinese authorities persists in its crackdown on fraudulent activities in the region.

Overall, twenty-one clan figures and partners were convicted of scams, murder, assault and additional offenses, reported a state media announcement posted on the court portal.

The family is among a handful of syndicates that gained influence in the early 2000s and converted the impoverished remote area of Laukkaing into a profitable hub of gambling establishments and entertainment zones.

Over the past few years they shifted to fraudulent schemes in which numerous of trafficked individuals, many of them Chinese, are caught, mistreated and obligated to defraud others in illegal operations worth billions.

Information of the Verdict

Mafia boss the patriarch and his offspring the younger Bai were among the several individuals given to execution by the court in Shenzhen. Another individual, Hu Xiaojiang and Chen Guangyi were the remaining sentenced.

Two figures of the Bai family syndicate were given conditional death penalties. Five were given to life imprisonment, while nine others were received jail terms varying from a period of 3-20 years.

This family, who led their own militia, set up 41 facilities to accommodate their online fraud operations and gambling houses, authorities said.

Extent of Criminal Schemes

These illegal activities involved over 29bn Chinese yuan ($4.1bn; £3.1bn). They also caused the demise of several Chinese individuals, the self-inflicted death of an individual and numerous assaults, state media announced.

The strict punishments delivered by the court are part of China's campaign to eliminate the extensive scam rings in South East Asia - and issue a firm warning to further criminal groups.

History of the Groups

These groups became dominant in the early 2000s with the assistance of a military leader - who now leads the country's regime. The leader had wanted to support allies in the town after replacing its previous leader.

Within the groups, the Bais were "absolutely number one", Bai Yingcang earlier stated to official sources.

"At that time, our Bai family was the dominant in both the government and armed arenas," he said in a documentary about the clan, broadcast on national media in July.

During the report, a employee at a illegal operations described the mistreatment he had endured at the location: in addition to being assaulted, he had his fingernails extracted with pliers and two of his digits amputated with a tool.

Further Allegations

The son is included in those who were condemned to execution in the latest ruling. He has also been independently sentenced of organizing to smuggle and make a large quantity of methamphetamine, state media announced.

End of the Clans

Their end came in 2023 as political winds shifted.

Previously Beijing has pressed the regime to limit fraudulent activities in Laukkaing.

Last year, the law enforcement announced detention orders for the most prominent members of such clans.

The patriarch, the clan's patriarch, was among the warlords who were extradited to China from the country in recent months.

"Why is the authorities making such extensive work to pursue the groups?" a Chinese investigator commented in the July report.

The purpose is to caution groups, regardless of your identity, your base, if you carry out such serious crimes targeting the citizens, you will face consequences."