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One China's judicial body has handed down death sentences to five prominent members of a well-known Myanmar organized crime group to death as Chinese authorities maintains its efforts on scam activities in Southeast Asian region.

Altogether, 21 Bai family members and associates were sentenced of fraud, homicide, injury and various crimes, reported a official announcement posted on the judicial website.

The group is one of a handful of organized crime groups that rose to power in the early 2000s and converted the impoverished remote area of Laukkaing into a profitable hub of gambling establishments and nightlife areas.

In recent years they pivoted to scams in which many of smuggled workers, many of them Chinese, are ensnared, harmed and forced to cheat victims in unlawful operations worth huge sums.

Specifics of the Sentencing

Mafia head Bai Suocheng and his heir the younger Bai were among the several men sentenced to execution by the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court. Yang Liqiang, Hu Xiaojiang and A fourth person were the additional convicted.

A couple of members of the clan mafia were handed suspended death sentences. Several were condemned to life imprisonment, while nine others were received prison terms ranging from several years to two decades.

The Bais, who commanded their own armed group, established 41 bases to house their digital scam activities and casinos, government reported.

Scale of Unlawful Operations

Such illegal activities entailed exceeding 29 billion local currency ($4.1 billion; £3.1bn). These activities also led to the fatalities of six Chinese nationals, the self-inflicted death of one and several injuries, reports reported.

The strict sentences delivered by the judicial body are a component of the Chinese effort to eradicate the vast fraud operations in South East Asia - and deliver a stern signal to other unlawful groups.

Background of the Groups

These families gained influence in the recent decades with the support of a prominent figure - who currently heads Myanmar's military government. The leader had aimed to bolster associates in Laukkaing after ousting its former warlord.

Among the families, the this family were "the top", Bai Yingcang previously told state media.

During that period, we was the leading in both the government and military arenas," the individual said in a report about the clan, broadcast on national media in the summer.

During the report, a employee at one of fraud facilities recalled the abuse he had experienced there: besides being hit, 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 given to execution recently. The individual has also been separately convicted of organizing to trade and produce a large quantity of illegal drugs, reports stated.

Decline of the Families

Their fall occurred in recent times as circumstances altered.

Over a long period Chinese authorities has pressed the local government to limit fraudulent activities in Laukkaing.

Recently, the Chinese police released arrest warrants for the leading members of these clans.

The patriarch, the clan's patriarch, was among the warlords who were extradited to Beijing from Myanmar in recent months.

For what reason is the state making such extensive work to target the clans?" a expert said in the July film.

This serves as a warning other people, no matter your position, where you are, when you carry out such serious crimes against the nationals, you will face consequences."