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One Chinese court has sentenced five prominent individuals of an infamous Burmese mafia to death as Beijing maintains its campaign on fraudulent operations in South East Asia.

Overall, 21 Bai family figures and partners were sentenced of fraud, homicide, assault and other offenses, stated a official report posted on the court portal.

The group is among a handful of syndicates that gained influence in the 2000s and converted the impoverished backwater town of Laukkaing into a lucrative base of gambling establishments and nightlife areas.

Recently they shifted to illegal operations in which thousands of smuggled individuals, many of them Chinese, are trapped, abused and forced to cheat others in illegal activities estimated at billions.

Details of the Verdict

Syndicate head Bai Suocheng and his son Bai Yingcang were among the five individuals sentenced to capital punishment by the court in Shenzhen. Yang Liqiang, A third figure and A fourth person were the remaining convicted.

Two figures of the Bai family syndicate were handed delayed executions. Five were given to life imprisonment, while nine others were received jail sentences varying from several years to two decades.

This family, who led their own private army, set up forty-one facilities to host their cyberscam schemes and betting establishments, government reported.

Scale of Unlawful Operations

Such unlawful enterprises included more than 29bn local currency ($4.1bn; £3.1 billion). They also led to the demise of six Chinese nationals, the self-inflicted death of an individual and multiple assaults, official sources stated.

The strict punishments delivered by the judicial body are part of China's campaign to eliminate the extensive scam operations in Southeast Asia - and deliver a stern signal to additional illegal organizations.

Context of the Groups

These clans gained influence in the recent decades with the support of Min Aung Hlaing - who is in charge of the country's military government. He had wanted to bolster allies in Laukkaing after removing its former ruler.

Among the families, the this family were "absolutely number one", the son before informed state media.

Back then, the clan was the dominant in both the political and armed circles," he said in a report about the clan, shown on Chinese state media in July.

In the same film, a employee at one of fraud facilities described the abuse he had endured at the location: besides being hit, he had his fingernails yanked out with tools and two of his fingers amputated with a blade.

Additional Accusations

The son is among those who were condemned to execution this week. He has also been separately found guilty of planning to traffic and produce 11 tonnes of illegal drugs, official sources stated.

Decline of the Groups

Their downfall occurred in last year as circumstances changed.

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

Recently, the Chinese police issued detention orders for the leading members of these groups.

Bai Suocheng, the Bai family's patriarch, was included in the warlords who were extradited to Beijing from Myanmar in recent months.

For what reason is the authorities putting so much effort to pursue the four families?" a official commented in the summer film.

The purpose is to caution groups, no matter your identity, where you are, when you engage in these heinous crimes targeting the nationals, you will be held accountable."