BEIJING -- Twenty-eight gang members from a voodoo healing ring have been sentenced in a Chinese court for swindling gullible victims of millions of yuan.

The ring, mainly consisting of relatives and friends of ringleader Du Tiexin, was charged with 91 crimes in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from 2002 to 2005, swindling 2.5 million yuan (US$312,500), the Legal Daily said on Monday.

Du, who took part in 63 cases, was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to hand over all the ill-gained profits. His brother, Du Tiejun, was also sentenced to life imprisonment, according to the ruling of the Urumqi Intermediate People's Court.

The gang worked in a sophisticated way, local police said. The victim would be approached by one member of the group and persuaded to see a voodoo healer.

Another member of the gang would act the part of the bogus healer, making the victim believe they were doomed to fall ill and need to spend a great deal of money on a voodoo blessing, the police said.

About 70 people, mostly elderly women, were cheated of their savings before the police busted the ring in August 2005. A stash of cash, jewels, and treasure was found during the police raid.

Superstitions still prevail in the Chinese countryside and poor peasants still believe in magic tricks to ward off diseases, especially in areas where health resources are scarce.