Twin gang leaders sentenced to 17 years in China

BEIJING – Twin brothers were sentenced to 17 years each in jail for running a criminal gang in southwest China, state media reported Friday.

Zhang Bo and Zhang Tao, 23, were convicted of heading up a criminal network that ran underground gambling dens in the mega-city of Chongqing since 2007, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Another 21 members of their gang received jail terms ranging from six months to 13-1/2 years, according to a court official. The gang, which controlled three towns in the suburban Wanzhou district, seriously injured five people in several attacks and kidnapped a man for more than 24 hours, the official told Xinhua.

Their trials have been part of a massive government crackdown in the city on organized crime, known as "black societies," since June, exposing deep ties between police and criminals.

Court testimony during the gang trials has revealed a seamy underworld of sex, corruption and power that have riveted the Chinese public.

Earlier this week, Xie Caiping, a woman dubbed the "godmother" of the Chinese underworld, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for her criminal reign that included running illegal casinos and bribing government officials. She was the only female gang boss to be tried.