11 in court for sex industry case

Eleven suspects stood trial between Wednesday and Friday on charges of organizing prostitution in Xinxiang of Central China's Henan province.

The defendants - including a major shareholder surnamed Chen of the Royal No. 1 Nightclub in Zhengzhou - were also accused in Xinxiang Intermediate People's Court of illegal operations and illegally harboring prostitutes.

Chen, 44, who used to hold 16.5 percent of Royal No. 1 Nightclub's shares, is the first defendant in the case, according to the public prosecutor. "Chen, who has no operating license for trading wine and cigarettes, is also charged with illegally selling wine and cigarettes to the nightclub for big profits," said the public prosecutor.