15 September 2006 :

chinese courts have sentenced seven gangsters to death in two separate cases in the country's northwestern Gansu Province and eastern Anhui Province, according to the Supreme People's Court (SPC).
Ma Bingbing, Ding Haihui, Ma Guodong and Gan Xingtao, leaders and core members of the largest gang in Gansu, were sentenced to death for organizing crime rings, murder and maliciously injuring others by the Gansu Provincial Higher People's Court.
Another 22 gang members and 34 defendants related to the case were given death sentences with a two-year reprieve or imprisonment penalties.
The gang was convicted of killing 13 and injuring 14 people, who it considered as rivals of their "businesses".
It also committed a range of other crimes including blackmail and organizing gambling.
Three gangsters in Anhui -- Li Wei, Wang Qianjin and Li Ya -- were sentenced to death by the Anhui Provincial Higher People's Court for leading a mob group and intentionally injuring others.
Their gang was convicted with 10 charges including seriously injuring others, racketeering and opening casinos.
Another 28 people were also put on trial, but the court did not reveal rulings on them.
A spokesman system has been established in all Chinese higher courts and the SPC, which handles information on major cases.