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A Chinese court has handed down death sentences to five prominent individuals of a notorious Burmese organized crime group to execution as Chinese authorities maintains its crackdown on scam networks in Southeast Asian region.

Overall, 21 Bai family members and associates were found guilty of fraud, murder, assault and additional offenses, reported a official announcement published on the court website.

The group is one of a handful of mafias that became dominant in the 2000s and changed the poor isolated region of Laukkaing into a lucrative base of gambling establishments and nightlife areas.

Recently they turned to fraudulent schemes in which many of trafficked workers, several of them Chinese, are ensnared, abused and compelled to cheat others in unlawful operations valued at billions.

Details of the Sentencing

Syndicate boss the patriarch and his offspring Bai Yingcang were included in the five figures sentenced to execution by the judicial body. Yang Liqiang, A third figure and A fourth person were the other three convicted.

A couple of members of the Bai family syndicate were given suspended death sentences. Several were condemned to permanent incarceration, while nine others were handed prison terms between a period of 3-20 years.

The Bais, who controlled their own militia, set up 41 bases to house their cyberscam operations and casinos, authorities said.

Extent of Illegal Operations

Such illegal activities included exceeding 29bn Chinese yuan ($4.1 billion; over three billion pounds). These activities also led to the fatalities of six from China citizens, the self-inflicted death of an individual and several injuries, official sources announced.

The severe penalties issued by the judicial body are part of China's effort to remove the large fraud operations in Southeast Asia - and deliver a stern message to additional unlawful organizations.

History of the Families

Such groups rose to power in the recent decades with the support of a military leader - who currently heads the country's military government. He had aimed to bolster partners in Laukkaing after ousting its earlier ruler.

Within the groups, the Bais were "the most powerful", the son earlier stated to official sources.

"At that time, the clan was the dominant in each of the political and armed arenas," the individual said in a film about the Bai family, shown on official channels in July.

During the film, a individual at one of fraud facilities narrated the abuse he had experienced at the location: besides being beaten, he had his fingernails yanked out with tools and a couple of his fingers severed with a blade.

Additional Accusations

Bai Yingcang is among those who were sentenced to execution in the latest ruling. He has additionally been independently sentenced of conspiring to smuggle and produce a large quantity of illegal drugs, official sources announced.

Decline of the Clans

The families' downfall happened in recent times as situations altered.

Over a long period Beijing has urged the Myanmar junta to limit scam schemes in Laukkaing.

Recently, the Chinese police issued legal actions for the most prominent figures of these families.

Bai Suocheng, the clan's leader, was among the individuals who were extradited to Beijing from the country in recent months.

"Why is the Chinese government making so much effort to go after the four families?" a Chinese investigator commented in the summer report.

"It's to warn individuals, regardless of who you are, your location, as long as you engage in these heinous crimes targeting the Chinese people, you will be held accountable."