Wang Ziqi, female head of prostitution ring, executed in China.

China on Wednesday executed the female head of a prostitution ring, Wang Ziqi, who forced hundreds of women to sell sex in the country's south-west, the International Business Times reported.

Wang Ziqi reportedly lured the women to work at beauty salons, tea houses or hotels in Chongqing, before forcing them into prostitution.

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She was sentenced to death after being convicted in 2010 of organizing and leading a criminal organization.

Wang's trial heard that she and her sister, Wang Wanning, held the women against their will after stealing their identity cards and confiscating their property, the official Chongqing Daily reported.

During their enforced captivity, in which the women were often beaten or made to endure long periods of isolation, some of the victims went insane or died, Agence France Presse reported.

It is understood that two other sisters were also involved in the prostitution ring, which reportedly enslaved at least 300 women between 1994 and 2009. However it is unknown if they have also been put on trial.

Chongqing is the focus of a drive against corruption and organized crime, and many gang members have been either sentenced to death or executed over the past two years, the BBC reported.