Ninety-seven members of a criminal gang have been sentenced to death or prison terms ranging from 12 months to life on charges including murder, causing injury and drug trafficking in central China's Hunan Province.

The Loudi City Intermediate People's Court sentenced seven people, including gang leaders Liu Junyong and Liao Jianhua, to death, four people, including principal criminal Liao Huixin, to death with a two-year reprieve.

Seven other people were sentenced to life imprisonment. The other 79 members were jailed for terms from 12 months to 20 years.

The 23 charges included murder, causing injury, drug trafficking, gambling, racketeering, contracting projects by force, causing public fear by force, threats, theft, and fighting, illegal detention, illegal manufacturing, selling and possession of guns, bribery, fraud and counterfeiting Chinese currency.

The court found the gang had murdered one person, seriously injured seven others and caused lesser injuries to 11 others. The gang was also found to have sold more than 1,600 grams of heroin, committed six thefts, started fights on 24 occasions, and produced, sold and possessed 15 guns on five different occasions.

The court also found the gang had committed bribery eight times, fraud twice, counterfeited Chinese currency on one occasion and incited riots.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2006)