More than 3,000 gangsters who were involved in mafia-style crimes have received severe punishment ranging from five years' imprisonment to execution in the three and half years ending June, according to an official with China's Supreme People's Court (SPC). SPC official Gao Jinghong said on Sunday that of the 700 mafia- style cases put on trial in the period, 3,089 criminals, or 46.55 percent of the total, were sentenced to five years in jail or above, life imprisonment or were executed. He did not offer a breakdown of the figure. From Jan. 2006 to June 2009, more than 12,600 suspects were found being involved in 1,140 mafia-style crimes. Zhang Jun, vice president of the SPC, said in a recent meeting that courts at all levels should abide strictly by the law and follow all legal procedures in hearing mafia-style criminal cases. He called for strengthened efforts to crack down on mafia and vicious crimes and dig and crush 'protective umbrellas' behind such crimes. 