A crime ring boss was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday here on charges of 11 offenses, including illegal marketing of guns, intended violence, blackmailing, arson, tax dodging and bribery, which also led to one-year to seven-year sentences for seven local police officials.

Liang Huaxue, former manager of a mine products company at Jiagou Township of Suzhou City, east China's Anhui Province, was accused to place the collective company under the control of his family members and direct a series of crimes to scramble for cargo spaces at a local train station and to monopolize trades and goods transportation since 1994.

Twenty-seven other criminals involved in the ring, including Liang Huaxue's relatives Liang Zhonghua and Liang Chunguang, were also sentenced to one year to 20 years in prison, according to the rule released by the Hefei Intermediate People's Court at this capital city.

Liang Huaxue stabbed a stevedore and destroyed the loading facilities of the train station in November 1994. He also instigated his complice to beat others, set fire on doors of his rivals, cut up trees along the railway without authorization and monopolize deals of sand and lumber since 1998. The tax evaded by his company totaled 1.42 million yuan (171,705 US dollars).

Xu Zhiya, former director of the Jiagou police station, was sentenced to seven years in prison for taking bribes and acting as "shadow" of the crime ring. Chen Zhiwen, former official with the Suzhou public security bureau, was given four-year sentence on similar charges. Other five officials with local law enforcement departments were sentenced to one year to five years in prison.
 
(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2004)