Gang used nightclub as base, court told

CHONGQING: A mafia-style gang funded its criminal activities with a prostitution business operated from a number of the city's luxurious entertainment venues, a court was told yesterday.

Alleged gang boss Yue Ning and his 30 accomplices went on trial at Chongqing No 1 Intermediate People's Court, where they faced charges of participation in a criminal gang, illegal detention and possession of firearms among other crimes.

Prosecutors said 41-year-old Yue and his gang, established in 1998, harbored prostitutes in nightclubs, bars and beauty salons in the city's Yuzhong and Nan'an districts.