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One China's court has sentenced five prominent figures of a well-known Burmese mafia to capital punishment as Beijing continues its campaign on scam networks in Southeast Asian region.

In all, 21 Bai family individuals and collaborators were convicted of fraud, homicide, assault and additional crimes, stated a official report released on the court portal.

The group is one of a handful of organized crime groups that gained influence in the last two decades and changed the poor remote area of Laukkaing into a profitable base of gambling establishments and red-light districts.

Over the past few years they shifted to scams in which numerous of smuggled people, many of them from China, are caught, abused and forced to cheat others in unlawful operations estimated at billions of dollars.

Specifics of the Verdict

Syndicate head Bai Suocheng and his offspring Bai Yingcang were among the five individuals condemned to capital punishment by the court in Shenzhen. Another individual, Hu Xiaojiang and A fourth person were the additional punished.

Two members of the Bai family mafia were handed delayed executions. Several were sentenced to life imprisonment, while additional individuals were given prison terms varying from three to 20 years.

This family, who led their own private army, set up 41 compounds to host their online fraud operations and betting establishments, officials said.

Extent of Criminal Activities

Such criminal activities entailed more than twenty-nine billion Chinese yuan ($4.1 billion; over three billion pounds). They also led to the demise of six Chinese nationals, the self-inflicted death of one and several assaults, official sources reported.

The severe punishments handed down by the judicial body are within China's initiative to eradicate the vast fraud operations in South East Asia - and deliver a firm warning to other illegal groups.

Background of the Groups

These families gained influence in the recent decades with the assistance of a military leader - who is in charge of Myanmar's military government. The leader had intended to bolster associates in the town after replacing its former warlord.

Within the families, the Bais were "absolutely number one", Bai Yingcang previously informed official sources.

During that period, the clan was the dominant in both the political and armed spheres," he said in a film about the Bai family, broadcast on official channels in July.

During the documentary, a worker at their their scam centres described the mistreatment he had suffered there: besides being hit, he had his nails extracted with tools and a couple of his fingers severed with a blade.

Additional Accusations

The son is included in those who were sentenced to death this week. He has also been independently convicted of organizing to traffic and make a large quantity of narcotics, state media announced.

End of the Families

Their downfall came in recent times as circumstances changed.

For years Chinese authorities has urged the regime to rein in scam schemes in the area.

Recently, the Chinese police issued arrest warrants for the key members of these clans.

Bai Suocheng, the clan's head, was among the individuals who were transferred to China from the country in recent months.

For what reason is the Chinese government making so much effort to go after the clans?" a expert said in the July report.

The purpose is to caution individuals, regardless of who you are, where you are, if you commit these heinous crimes targeting the nationals, you will pay the price."