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One Chinese judicial body has sentenced five leading figures of a well-known Myanmar mafia to execution as Beijing persists in its efforts on scam operations in South East Asia.

Overall, 21 Bai family individuals and collaborators were convicted of scams, murder, assault and various offenses, reported a state media announcement released on the court portal.

This clan is among a small number of mafias that rose to power in the 2000s and changed the poor isolated region of Laukkaing into a wealthy base of gambling establishments and nightlife areas.

In recent years they turned to fraudulent schemes in which thousands of smuggled individuals, several of them from China, are trapped, abused and forced to scam others in unlawful operations worth huge sums.

Specifics of the Judgment

Mafia leader the patriarch and his son Bai Yingcang were included in the several men sentenced to execution by the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court. Another individual, Hu Xiaojiang and A fourth person were the other three sentenced.

Two members of the Bai family syndicate were handed conditional death penalties. Several were given to permanent incarceration, while more figures were handed prison sentences between a period of 3-20 years.

This family, who led their own militia, established 41 compounds to host their cyberscam operations and betting establishments, government reported.

Magnitude of Criminal Schemes

Such illegal operations entailed over 29 billion local currency (over four billion dollars; over three billion pounds). These activities also led to the fatalities of six Chinese citizens, the self-inflicted death of one and multiple harm, state media stated.

The strict sentences issued by the judicial body are within China's campaign to eliminate the large fraud rings in the region - and send a firm signal to additional criminal syndicates.

History of the Families

Such families rose to power in the recent decades with the assistance of a prominent figure - who is in charge of Myanmar's regime. He had wanted to prop up partners in Laukkaing after removing its earlier warlord.

Within the clans, the this family were "the most powerful", the son earlier informed official sources.

During that period, our Bai family was the most powerful in both the government and armed spheres," he stated in a documentary about the clan, aired on official channels in July.

During the film, a employee at a their scam centres described the mistreatment he had experienced at the location: besides being beaten, he had his fingernails yanked out with pliers and a couple of his fingers cut off with a tool.

Further Charges

The son is included in those who were condemned to execution in the latest ruling. He has also been separately found guilty of organizing to traffic and manufacture a large quantity of methamphetamine, reports stated.

Decline of the Families

Their downfall came in recent times as political winds shifted.

Previously Beijing has encouraged the local government to limit fraudulent schemes in Laukkaing.

Last year, the authorities released arrest warrants for the leading individuals of such clans.

The patriarch, the Bai family's patriarch, was included in the individuals who were handed to Beijing from the country in the beginning of the year.

For what reason is the Chinese government making significant resources to target the four families?" a expert commented in the July film.

The purpose is to caution other people, no matter your identity, your location, when you engage in such serious acts affecting the Chinese people, you will be held accountable."