Three men who led two underworld gangs have been sentenced to death for trafficking of women, rape and robbery in east China's Zhejiang Province, local authorities said Wednesday.

Four members of the two gangs in Wenzhou City received death sentences with a two-year reprieve. Nine others received jail terms ranging from 10 years to life, according to the Wenzhou Municipal Intermediate People's Court.

The nine-member gang headed by two men surnamed Xia and Li was found to have kidnapped at least 13 young masseuses in Wenzhou and sold them to different massage parlors in other cities beginning in the second half of 2008 until February 2009, the court heard.

A seven-member gang headed by a man surnamed Shao was found to have kidnapped at least eight young women between September 2008 and March 2009 in Wenzhou after they asked them out through online dating. The women were later sold for prostitution.

Prosecutors said the two gangs were also convicted of raping and robbery and had a very negative impact on society.