A higher court in East China's Anhui Province upheld a ruling that six
Myanmar nationals convicted of women smuggling should receive jail
terms ranging from five years to life.
The leader of the ring, whose Chinese name is "Ma'ailai", was
sentenced to life imprisonment. He was also deprived of his
political rights for life and his personal assets were confiscated,
said the Higher People's Court of Anhui Province, in a final court
ruling.
The other five criminals in the smuggling clique were given
fines of 10,000 yuan (about US$ 1,250) each on top of their jail
sentences, according to the final ruling issued on Sunday.
Chinese procurators said the smuggling team last year abducted a
number of Myanmar women, smuggled them into China and sold them as
wives to single men in Anhui province.
The gang, all farmers in Myanmar, were arrested by local police
in Anhui in July 2005. A total of 23 Myanmar women that they had
abducted were subsequently set free.
In the first-instance trial held on July 19 this year, the
Intermediate People's Court of Bozhou, a city in Anhui, ruled that
the gang members were guilty of abducting and selling women for
profit and were sentenced to imprisonment of five years to
life.
The lower court demanded that the criminals be deported upon
completion of their jail terms in China.
The six Myanmar nationals lodged an appeal with the Higher
People's Court of Anhui Province.
(Xinhua News Agency December 7, 2006)