HOHHOT -- A gang of 10 policemen in north China have been sentenced to between five to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of rape, robbery, bribery and gambling, a local court said on Thursday.

Ringleader Su He, former political commissar of Tumd Zuoqi Public Security Bureau, Inner Mongolia, was convicted of illegally controlling local government departments and collecting massive gains, with nine other policemen in the bureau over a period of more than 10 years, the Intermediate People's Court of Erdos City heard.

Su was given a jail sentence of 20 years, property worth 200,000 yuan (US$25,800) was confiscated and he was fined 20,000 yuan. The other nine were sentenced to five to 15 years in prison with fines of 2,000 yuan to 12,000 yuan.

The gang organized 61 illegal activities involving a total of 13 crimes including rape, illegal detention, robbery, illegal possession of firearms and collecting bribes of more than 3 million yuan, according to the court.