Nine jailed for dumping garbage in Yangtze River

Nine people were sentenced to up to six and a half years in prison in Changshu, Jiangsu province, on Friday for dumping more than 40,000 metric tons of trash into the Yangtze River and the cities it runs through.

Three principal criminals, surnamed Ni, Zhou and Zhang, were sentenced by Changshu People's Court to six and a half years, five years, and four years and three months for the serious water pollution and major economic losses caused by their illegal acts.

They were also fined from 1 million ($145,000) to 400,000 yuan. Six accessory criminals were sentenced one and a half years to two years behind bars.