China court upholds death sentence for mine killers

SHIJIAZHUANG - A court in North China on Friday upheld the death sentence of five people who killed four miners and faked accidents at coal mines to claim compensation.

The Hebei Provincial Higher People's Court dismissed the appeal of Zhang Weilan, Zhou Jun, Zhong Chengyong, Xu Chengde, Yan Shiyong who cheated 1.8 million yuan ($290,000) out of mine owners.

The case is eerily similar to the movie "Blind Shaft", which won a Silver Bear at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival.

The five managed a 21-member gang that bludgeoned four people to death with hammers at iron mines in Wu'an City and Shexian County, both in Hebei, from October 2011 to August 2012.

After the murders, the gang faked accidents and received money from the mine owners in the name of victims' "relatives". They managed to get 1.8 million yuan from the first three incidents before being caught by police during the fourth attempt, in which they had asked for 600,000 yuan in "compensation".

Female gang members were responsible for luring the victims, mostly bachelors who were too poor to marry. While others scouted the shafts, killed the victims and extorted the money.

The Handan City Intermediate People's Court found all the five guilty of murder and sentenced them to death in August 2014. They lodged an appeal with the Hebei Provincial Higher People's Court after the verdict.

Yan Dengpeng, another suspect, was sentenced to death with a two-year suspension. Wang Huatao and two other suspects were sentenced to life in prison. The others were sentenced to different terms of imprisonment.