Chinese woman sentenced to death for prostitution ring
BEIJING — A Chinese court on Wednesday sentenced to death two women convicted of running a prostitution ring, adding to the heavy punishments meted out in a crackdown on Mafia-like gangs in the inland city of Chongqing.
Wang Ziqi and Tao Minggu were convicted of leading a criminal organization, forcing women into prostitution, bribing officers and a list of other crimes, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Twenty-four suspected accomplices received sentences ranging from a suspended death penalty — likely to be commuted to life in prison — to two years in jail, said the report.
Chongqing's urbane Communist Party boss, Bo Xilai, has gained nationwide popularity by spearheading a high-profile clampdown on organized crime in the riverside city, which is trying to emerge as a regional magnet for industry and investment.
In this country where few citizens oppose the widespread use of the death penalty, Wang and Tao are unlikely to attract much sympathy.
The court found that Wang founded a chain of brothels in Chongqing from 1994, and between 1998 and 2009 her gang amassed illegal earnings of 100 million yuan ($14.8 million).
Chongqing courts have already sentenced dozens of people to death or long jail terms over the past several months as part of the crackdown in the sprawling city.
The campaign has been marked by lurid tales of murder and extortion by cops-turned-robbers. Some observers have said Bo, the son of a Communist revolutionary leader, has used the crackdown to burnish his credentials as an aspiring national leader.
Last month, Chongqing's disgraced former justice chief was executed after he was convicted of protecting gangs, bribery, rape and other crimes.
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