A leader of a gang of swindlers who cheated five wealthy mahjong players out of more than Rmb120 million (US$18 million) in Southern China has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Zhang Yongming was found guilty of fraud and was sentenced to life imprisonment, while his four partners were meted jail terms of between 3.5 to 7 years, the Yangcheng Evening Post has reported.

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It was in late 2013 when Zhang and his four accomplices cheated wealthy mahjong players in China by installing hidden cameras, transmission devices, and sensors in a mahjong room.

Zhang and his cohorts installed the devices in another room at the Xiangmi Lake Golf Training Centre in Shenzhen, next to Hong Kong. The devices allowed Zhang's accomplices to view the tiles of other players and then relayed the information to the mastermind.

It was only in May 2014 when the five wealthy mahjong players suspected that Zhang had been cheating them for months as they always lose money to him during their game.

The five wealthy mahjong players conducted their own investigation and discovered the concealed cameras. The victims purposely turned the cameras around before a game, which prompted the gang to enter the gaming room and readjust the camera.

It was then that the wealthy mahjong players caught the group red-handed.

According to records at the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court, the five wealthy mahjong players, whose names have not been disclosed, lost a total of Rmb120 million to Zhang from late 2013 until May 2014.

The court found Zhang guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment. His cohorts were found guilty as well and sentenced to up to 7 years in prison. Zhang reportedly filed an appeal to the Guangdong Higher People's Court.

TagsChina Mahjong Gang, China Mahjong Cheating, China Mahjong Swindling, China Mahjong