China carried out on Monday the death sentence on Liu Han, the former chairman of unlisted mining company Hanlong Group, state news outlet Xinhua reported.

The report said the mining tycoon's younger brother, Liu Wei, and three others were also executed.

Liu was linked to the eldest child of China's former security top brass, Zhou Yongkang, who is himself facing a probe for corruption, China state media reported.

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In May last year, Liu, who used to appear on China's list of top 230 wealthiest people, was tried last year together with 36 other accused for murder and leading a group engaged in what was described as "mafia-style" behavior.

Hubei province's High People's Court came out with the order to hang Liu Han, who was handed down the death sentence last May, Xinhua said.

Liu, a private business owner, is one of the biggest subjects of a campaign against corruption started by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he rose to power in 2013.

Last year, China revealed an investigation into the conduct of Zhou Yongkang, one of China's power wielders the last decade. His case has been linked to a struggle for control or upper hand in the nation's ruling Communist Party.

Liu used to be a business partner Zhou Bin, who is Zhou's eldest child. Official government media have not made a direct link between Liu's case to Zhou, but police said his big business breaks coincided with Zhou's rule as top Sichuan party boss.

China prosecutors have also gone after several of Zhou's associates, which includes Jiang Jiemin, who used to be the top regulator of state-owned businesses. 

TagsLiu Han, execution, mining magnate, Liu Han execution, Hanlong Group, Mafia