33 Car Thieves Executed in S. China Province

Courts across southern China’s Guangdong province ordered 33 car thieves executed Friday as part of a campaign against car theft, according to an official newspaper seen today.

The Yangcheng Evening News said courts in 14 towns and cities held mass sentencing rallies for 101 people accused of car theft and that 33 were immediately executed.

“Car theft is steadily increasing within Guangdong province,” the newspaper quoted court officials as saying. “In 1993 alone, it accounted for one-third of the major criminal incidents recorded in the province.”