Thursday, October 26, 2006

The man said to be Shanghai's "top gangster" has been sentenced to death for
drug trafficking and other crimes. The Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate Court
found Li Bin, 40, guilty of leading a criminal organization, trafficking in
drugs, organizing attacks and illegally possessing weapons, the Shanghai
Daily reported. It said that Li's wife and 18 members of his gang were
sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 months to life. Li, who dubbed
himself the city's "top gangster," had spent 15 years in prison when he was
released from jail in 2001 and took over an entertainment center in
Shanghai's suburb of Baoshan, where he operated a gambling and "drug taking"
den, the report said. It said Li's gang took in nearly 3 million yuan
(US$380,000;?304,000) in online gambling proceeds, in addition to his
profits from dealing in illicit drugs.