Two given death sentence for trafficking children

Two people were sentenced to death by Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court on Friday for trafficking children.

The smugglers, Zhang Weiping and Zhou Rong, were also deprived of their political rights for life, and all of their personal assets were confiscated, said the verdict.

Meanwhile, the court also sentenced Yang Chaoping and Liu Zhenghong, key members in Zhang's and Zhou's gang, to life in prison and deprived them of their political rights for life and all of their personal assets were also confiscated.

Chen Shoubi, another gang member, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and deprived of political rights for three years and fined 3,000 yuan ($438).

The court said Zhang, Zhou and their gang had participated in abducting and trafficking nine children between 2003 and 2005. The whereabouts of the children are still unknown.

Zhang and Zhou and their gang members were detained when police busted the gang in 2016.

The verdict said Zhang and Zhou had committed serious crimes and caused a bad effect in the society and they should be severely punished according to the law.