Five sentenced for cheating on 2011 gaokao

Chengdu (CNS) -- The court of Fushun Township in southwest China's Sichuan Province has made a first-instance ruling against five defendants who cheated during China's national college entrance exam, or gaokao, in 2011, according to the provincial high people's court on Tuesday.

The suspects used multimedia messages, text messages, QQ instant messaging and other telecom means to cheat on the test, the court said.

The defendants exchanged test information through mobile devices with a college student surnamed He, who not only replied with answers, but sold the information for a profit and earned tens of thousands of yuan.

The defendants were charged with violation of the Law on Guarding State Secrets and sentenced to set terms of imprisonment ranging from six months and 15 days to ten months. The trial of 13 other suspects involved in the case will be held separately.