An 34-member underworld organized crime gang involving two former police officers went on trial Monday at the Tieling Intermediate People's Court in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Prosecutors presented a 52-page indictment related to what is known as the "8.29 Underworld Case" in Panjin. It is the longest indictment ever presented in courts in the nation.

Liu Jun, former head of a police substation in Shuangtaizi District of the city's Public Security Bureau, is alleged to be a key member of a crime gang.

Liu Xiaoming, former vice-director of the Shuangtaizi police branch, is also suspected to be part of the ring.

According to prosecutors, the underworld organization - headed by Liu Xiaojun and Yan Yuguang - is suspected of being involved in murders, smuggling, drug trafficking, gambling, a number of burglaries and dozens of other crimes, which did great damage to the economic and social fabric of Panjin.

The gang came into being in 1998 and grew into a large-scale organized crime operator by 2002, according to the prosector's allegations presented in court.

The indictment shows that the ring boss, Liu Xiaojun, has amassed huge wealth and property through crimes between 1993 and 2002, such as smuggling, gambling and various cases of burglary. His net worth has reached approximately 40 million yuan (US$4.8 million).

Liu allegedly wooed and corrupted officials to seek their protection for his gang members' street activities.

Lu Changsheng, an official with the Tieling People's Court, told China Daily the first hearings on the case would last at least one week because a number of suspects and details about the people involved and the cases are complicated.

Lu said the underworld organization is just one of several criminal gangs discovered in Panjin since August 29, 2002, and the crime ring cases are jointly called the "8.29 Panjin Case."

According to Lu, two criminal gangs - involving 16 people - were put on trial last year. Five of the gangsters were sentenced to death.

Two police officials are involved in one of the criminal gangs headed by Wu Ying. One is Feng Lijun, the former vice-director of the Public Security Bureau of Panshan County. The other is Wang Feng, an officer with the Public Security Bureau of Panjin.

Feng was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for taking bribes while Wang was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for offering protection for Wu's criminal enterprises and gang members.

In another development, an underworld organization that involves some 20 gangsters and seven judicial officials went before judges to hear allegations against them Monday at the Hefei Intermediate People's Court in east China's Anhui Province.

The criminal gang, based in Suzhou City of Hefei, is headed by Liang Huaxue and most of its members are Liang's relatives.

According to local prosecutors, the seven judicial officials took bribes from Liang and protected the underworld in their dealing with several cases committed by the gangsters.

The court said the trial was expected to last about 10 days.

(China Daily February 10, 2004)