Five people were given jail terms ranging from seven to 14 and a half years for abducting and trafficking eight children, all boys, in south China's Guangdong Province.
Tang Xianzhong, Li Wenquan, Hong Minghua and Wu Caiwan, the four culprits, were also fined 10,000 yuan (1,333 U.S. dollars), and Yang Hongqiong, their accomplice was fined 5,000 yuan, said Dongguan Intermediate People's Court.
Since August 2005, boys were reported to have been abducted in some villages of Dalang Town, Dongguan City, the court said.
On April 17, police from Dongguan caught Yang Hongqiong in eastern Fujian Province and rescued an eight-year-old boy.
In aid of Yang's clues, the police rescued another seven abducted boys and arrested the other four suspects.
According to court investigation, Tang, Li and Wu usually coaxed the children playing outside with snacks and then abducted them. They also induced several adolescents to abduct children and paid them a reward of 100 yuan to 1,000 yuan.
Yang and Hong were responsible for seeking buyers in Fujian and then selling the children for 13,000 yuan (about 1,733 U.S. dollars) each, the court said.
The court meted out a lighter sentence to them since they provided clues and all the abducted children were rescued.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2007)
