Organized crime on trial in Panjin

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Organized crime on trial in Panjin

An 34-member underworld organized crime gang involving two former police officers went on trial yesterday at the Tieling Intermediate People's Court in Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

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An 34-member underworld organized crime gang involving two former police officers went on trial yesterday at the Tieling Intermediate People's Court in Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Prosecutors presented a 52-page indictment brought-- the lengthiest number of charges related to what is known as the "8.29 Underworld Case" in Panjin..

Liu Jun, former head of a police substation in the Shuangtaizi District of the city's Public Security Bureau, is alleged to be a key member of a crime gang.

Liu Xiaoming, former vice-director of the Shuangtaizi police branch, is also suspected to be part of the ring.

According to prosecutors, the underworld organization --headed by Liu Xiaojun and Yan Yuguang -- is suspected of being involved in murders, smuggling, drug trafficking, gambling, a number of burglaries and dozens of other crimes, which did great damage to the economic and social fabric of Panjin.

The gang came into being in 1998 and grew into a large-scale organized crime operation by 2002.

The indictment shows that the ring boss, Liu Xiaojun, has amassed huge wealth and property through crimes between 1993 and 2002, such as smuggling, gambling and burglary. His net worth has reached nearly 40 million yuan (US$4.8 million).

Liu allegedly wooed and corrupted officials to seek their protection for his gang's activities.

Lu Changsheng, an official with the Tieling People's Court, told China Daily the first hearings of the case would last at least one week because a number of suspects and details of the case are complicated.

Lu said the underworld organization is just one of the several criminal gangs discovered in Panjin since August 29, 2002, and the crime ring cases are jointly called the "8.29 Panjin Case."

According to Lu, two criminal gangs -- involving 16 people -- were put on trial last year. Five of the gangsters were sentenced to death.

One of the crime gangs headed by Wu Ying also with two police officers involved. One is Feng Lijun, the former vice-director of the Public Security Bureau of Panshan County. The other is Wang Feng, an officer with the Public Security Bureau of Panjin.

Feng was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for taking bribes while Wang was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for offering protection for Wu's criminal gang.

In another development, an underworld organization involving 21 gangsters and seven judicial officials went on trial yesterday at the Hefei Intermediate People's Court in East China's Anhui Province.

The criminal gang, based in Suzhou City of Hefei, is headed by Liang Huaxue and most of its members are Liang's relatives.

According to local prosecutors, the seven judicial officials took bribes from Liang and protected the underworld in their dealing with several cases committed by the gangsters.

The court said the trial was expected to last about 10 days.

Source: China Daily

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