WANG XIAOXI, head of a mafia-style organization, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for multiple crimes, such as organizing and leading a mafia-style organization, being involved in forced buying and selling, blackmail, illegal detention, gambling and intentional assault.

Other ring members, 79 in total, were given jail terms ranging from 13 months to 16.5 years, sources from Bao’an District People’s Court said.

Wang also had 2 million yuan (US$296,296) worth of property confiscated and was fined 1.6 million yuan, according to the court verdict.

The police investigation showed Wang started committing crimes in 1999 in Xin’an and Xixiang subdistricts. In December 2003, Wang was jailed for injuring three people when he and his members were collecting debts from a factory. After Wang was released from prison, he developed his criminal ring into a mafia-style organization.

Since 2007, Wang has monopolized the sale of beer in Xin’an and Xixiang, and made profits on industrial waste transportation and from organizing gambling. They collected protection fees and worked as underground law enforcement to profit in private disputes. (Han Ximin)