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A China's judicial body has sentenced five leading figures of an infamous Burmese organized crime group to death as Beijing maintains its crackdown on scam operations in Southeast Asian region.

In all, 21 clan figures and partners were sentenced of fraud, murder, assault and various crimes, said a official document released on the judicial website.

This clan is one of a small number of syndicates that rose to power in the 2000s and converted the poor isolated region of Laukkaing into a profitable base of casinos and entertainment zones.

In recent years they shifted to fraudulent schemes in which thousands of trafficked workers, several of them Chinese, are trapped, mistreated and obligated to defraud others in illegal enterprises estimated at billions.

Specifics of the Sentencing

Syndicate leader the patriarch and his heir Bai Yingcang were among the five men sentenced to capital punishment by the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court. Yang Liqiang, A third figure and Chen Guangyi were the remaining sentenced.

Two individuals of the clan mafia were given delayed executions. Five were sentenced to life in prison, while additional individuals were handed jail terms varying from a period of 3-20 years.

The Bais, who led their own private army, created forty-one facilities to accommodate their cyberscam schemes and betting establishments, officials said.

Scale of Illegal Schemes

These unlawful activities included more than 29 billion Chinese yuan ($4.1 billion; over three billion pounds). These activities also caused the fatalities of six from China citizens, the self-inflicted death of one and multiple injuries, state media reported.

The strict punishments handed down by the judicial body are part of China's campaign to eradicate the vast fraud operations in Southeast Asia - and issue a stern warning to other illegal organizations.

Background of the Groups

Such clans gained influence in the recent decades with the support of a military leader - who currently heads the country's regime. He had wanted to bolster associates in the town after removing its previous warlord.

Within the families, the this family were "the most powerful", the son earlier stated to state media.

During that period, the clan was the leading in each of the government and military circles," he said in a documentary about the clan, aired on official channels in July.

During the film, a employee at a fraud facilities described the abuse he had experienced at the location: besides being assaulted, he had his fingernails removed with tools and two of his fingers cut off with a tool.

More Charges

Bai Yingcang is among those who were given to execution in the latest ruling. The individual has also been separately found guilty of conspiring to trade and make eleven tons of narcotics, official sources announced.

Downfall of the Groups

Their fall occurred in recent times as situations altered.

For years Beijing has encouraged the Myanmar junta to limit fraudulent operations in Laukkaing.

Recently, the authorities announced detention orders for the leading individuals of such clans.

The patriarch, the Bai family's head, was included in the warlords who were transferred to China from Myanmar in the beginning of the year.

For what reason is the state putting so much effort to pursue the clans?" a expert stated in the July report.

This serves as a warning individuals, regardless of your position, your base, if you commit these terrible crimes against the citizens, you will be held accountable."