A court in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Monday dismissed appeals by six people convicted in connection with organized crime gangs, upholding a death sentence for the gang leader and a key member.

In the second trial, or the final trial on Monday morning, the Chongqing Municipal Higher People's Court upheld the original verdict on Oct. 21.

The Chongqing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People's Court handed down death sentences to Yang Tianqing and Liu Chenghu in the first trial.

Yang Tianqing was convicted of organizing a nine-member criminal gang, intentional injury, blackmail, forging resident identity cards, forcing deal and illegal possession of guns and ammunition, a court statement said.

Yang, the 35-year-old gang leader, was also fined 500,000 yuan, it said.

Liu Chenghu, was sentenced to death for the crime of participating in the gang, murder and intentional injury.

Two other members of the gang, Jian Shaokun and Zeng Chuan, were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, the document said.

The other five members received jail terms from 11 years to life.

The court statement said the gang's crimes spanned the past eight years and involved killings of four people and intentionally injuring at least six.

The suspects appealed to the court after the first trial and the court began to hear the appeal trial since Nov. 12.