China's state-run news service reports six Burmese nationals have been given prison sentences for kidnapping at least 23 women and smuggling them into China.
The China state news agency Xinhua reports today that the Higher People's Court of Anhui Province sentenced the leader of the smuggling group to life in prison. The others were given terms ranging from five years to life and fines of more than 12,00 dollars.
The report says that once their terms have been served, the men will be deported back to Burma.
Chinese prosecutors say the men kidnapped Burmese women and smuggled them into China, where they were sold as wives for single men in Anhui province. They were arrested in July of 2005 and the women they abducted were later released.
Information for this report is provided by Reuters.
