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A Chinese court has sentenced a group of prominent figures of a notorious Burmese mafia to death as Chinese authorities continues its efforts on fraudulent networks in South East Asia.

Altogether, 21 clan figures and partners were convicted of fraud, homicide, assault and other offenses, said a state media announcement released on the judicial website.

The group is one of a small number of mafias that rose to power in the 2000s and converted the impoverished isolated region of Laukkaing into a lucrative center of casinos and entertainment zones.

In recent years they pivoted to scams in which numerous of illegally moved workers, a large number of them Chinese, are trapped, harmed and forced to defraud others in illegal operations estimated at billions.

Specifics of the Judgment

Syndicate leader Bai Suocheng and his heir Bai Yingcang were among the several individuals condemned to execution by the court in Shenzhen. Yang Liqiang, Hu Xiaojiang and A fourth person were the other three sentenced.

Two figures of the Bai family mafia were given conditional death penalties. Five were condemned to life in prison, while more figures were given jail sentences between a period of 3-20 years.

This family, who controlled their own militia, established forty-one bases to accommodate their digital scam activities and betting establishments, officials said.

Magnitude of Unlawful Operations

These criminal operations entailed more than 29bn yuan ($4.1bn; £3.1 billion). These activities also led to the demise of several Chinese citizens, the self-inflicted death of an individual and numerous harm, reports stated.

The harsh sentences handed down by the judicial body are a component of China's initiative to remove the large fraud operations in South East Asia - and issue a stern signal to further unlawful syndicates.

Context of the Clans

These clans gained influence in the 2000s with the support of a military leader - who is in charge of the country's regime. The leader had intended to support partners in Laukkaing after ousting its previous warlord.

Among the families, the Bais were "the most powerful", Bai Yingcang earlier told state media.

Back then, the clan was the most powerful in each of the government and military circles," he stated in a report about the Bai family, shown on national media in the summer.

During the documentary, a individual at their their scam centres described the mistreatment he had endured there: in addition to being hit, he had his nails yanked out with tools and a couple of his fingers severed with a kitchen knife.

Additional Allegations

The son is included in those who were given to death this week. He has additionally been separately sentenced of planning to traffic and produce eleven tons of illegal drugs, official sources reported.

End of the Families

Their fall came in recent times as circumstances shifted.

Over a long period Chinese authorities has encouraged the Myanmar junta to control scam operations in the area.

Recently, the law enforcement announced legal actions for the most prominent members of these clans.

Bai Suocheng, the clan's patriarch, was included in the warlords who were handed to China from the country in the beginning of the year.

"Why is the authorities making so much effort to target the groups?" a expert said in the July film.

This serves as a warning other people, regardless of your position, your base, as long as you carry out these serious offenses against the Chinese people, you will pay the price."