Eleven gang members, including nine males and two females, have received sentences ranging from imprisonment to the death penalty from the Beijing No.2 Intermediate People's Court after being convicted of robbing and killing taxi drivers in Beijing, local police said.
Four of the suspects, Li Wei, Yang Bin, Wang Ruiyun, and He Wei, who come from Beijing, southwest China's Sichuan Province and northeast China's Liaoning Province, were sentenced to death and deprived of their political rights for life, while Wang Zhihui and Song Chunwang were sentenced to death with a stay of execution and also deprived of their political rights for life.
Another member was sentenced to life imprisonment, and the remaining four were given prison terms ranging from 10 to 15 years.
Between April and August 2002, the culprits, most of whom are farmers, impersonated taxi passengers and then killed the drivers en route to the destination. They then buried the drivers' bodies and sold the cars to nearby provinces.
Their criminal activities have resulted in the death of 8 people, according to the court.
(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2003)
