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A China's judicial body has condemned a group of top figures of a notorious Burmese organized crime group to capital punishment as Beijing persists in its campaign on scam operations in South East Asia.

Altogether, 21 clan members and associates were convicted of scams, murder, injury and other offenses, stated a official document released on the judicial portal.

This clan is one of a small number of organized crime groups that gained influence in the early 2000s and changed the poor remote area of the town into a lucrative hub of casinos and red-light districts.

In recent years they turned to illegal operations in which thousands of smuggled workers, many of them Chinese, are trapped, mistreated and obligated to defraud others in unlawful activities valued at billions.

Information of the Sentencing

Mafia head the patriarch and his offspring the younger Bai were among the group of individuals condemned to capital punishment by the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court. Another individual, A third figure and A fourth person were the other three convicted.

Two individuals of the Bai family mafia were handed suspended death sentences. Several were condemned to life in prison, while additional individuals were given jail sentences varying from three to 20 years.

The Bais, who commanded their own armed group, created 41 compounds to host their cyberscam activities and casinos, officials reported.

Magnitude of Unlawful Activities

These criminal activities involved over 29bn Chinese yuan (over four billion dollars; £3.1 billion). These activities also led to the demise of several Chinese nationals, the self-inflicted death of an individual and several assaults, state media reported.

The harsh sentences handed down by the judicial body are within China's initiative to eradicate the vast scam rings in the region - and send a strong warning to further illegal groups.

Background of the Groups

These families became dominant in the 2000s with the support of Min Aung Hlaing - who now leads the country's regime. He had aimed to support associates in Laukkaing after removing its previous ruler.

Within the groups, the this family were "absolutely number one", Bai Yingcang earlier informed state media.

"At that time, we was the leading in both the government and armed spheres," he remarked in a documentary about the Bai family, aired on official channels in July.

Within that documentary, a employee at their their scam centres recalled the mistreatment he had experienced at the location: besides being assaulted, he had his fingernails yanked out with instruments and a couple of his fingers amputated with a kitchen knife.

More Charges

The son is among those who were sentenced to execution this week. He has also been independently sentenced of organizing to smuggle and manufacture 11 tonnes of illegal drugs, official sources announced.

End of the Families

The families' downfall occurred in last year as circumstances shifted.

Over a long period Chinese authorities has urged the local government to rein in scam activities in Laukkaing.

In 2023, the authorities released arrest warrants for the most prominent members of such clans.

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

For what reason is the authorities making such extensive work to pursue the clans?" a expert commented in the July film.

The purpose is to caution individuals, no matter your identity, where you are, when you carry out these serious acts affecting the Chinese people, you will face consequences."