BRITON SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING

A British man who claims he was framed by an airport security officer
was convicted today by a Malaysian judge of trafficking heroin and
sentenced to death by hanging. Penang high court judge Zaleha Zahari
said she was satisfied with the evidence of prosecution witnesses and
that defendant David Anthony Chell, 57, took a calculated risk by
hiding the drug in his underwear, the Bernama news agency reported.

"Well done," Chell was quoted as saying to the judge in response to
the verdict. "You should be ashamed of yourself, madam. I hope you'll
not sleep for a year."

Chell, a psychiatric nurse from Stoke-on-Trent, quickly filed an
appeal.

Chell was arrested at the Bayan Lepas International Airport in
northern Penang state in October 1998, and charged with smuggling
189.86 grams of heroin.

Malaysian customs officials say they found a pouch with the drug in
Chell's underwear. Chell denies the charges and accused officials of
planting the heroin, saying one of the security personnel had taken it
from underneath a cushion at a corner of the airport examination room.