A fisherman-turned pirate in Fujian province was executed on Jan 8 for killing 26 sailors together with his accomplices in a series of lootings more than two decades ago.

The man, surnamed Lin, was from Lianjiang county in Fuzhou city. He joined the pirate gang in 1990, and committed four robberies and homicides in coastal areas in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces between March and Oct in the same year, where they killed 26 men and looted assets worth about 350,000 yuan ($56,470), according to a verdict by a court in Ningde city.

Lin was at large until arrested two years ago.