Carrying charges of various capital crimes, 15 gangsters were executed in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province Sunday.Courts in 9 local cities in the province made the public sentencing of 38severe criminal cases involving robbery or the use of guns.In Jinzhou, 6 members of a seven-member gang were given the death penaltyfor illegally making guns and using guns for robberies, causing 18 deathsand 3 serious injuries among their victims.The intermediate people's court of Jinzhou also sentenced to death fourmembers of a 2nd criminal group whose 5 members were found guilty ofrobbery, theft, rape and injuring others with weapons.Executions were carried out on 5 members of a 13-member gang in Yingkou onthe same day, on robbery, theft and racketeering convictions, while onemember was sentenced to death with a 2-year probation and another sentencedto life imprisonment.The latter 2 could have been executed for their role in the same crimes, butthey were given a lesser sentence for "major meritorious deeds," accordingto the court.Since 1996, the group mainly stole automobiles. They were involved in 17cases with stolen merchandise worth more than 1.5 million yuan. They alsokilled 7 people and severely injured one, according to the intermediatepeople's court of Yingkou and the higher people's court of the province.

(source: People's Daily/Halperin's News)