DUBAI, Sept 26 (Reuter) Saudi Arabia on Friday beheaded three men, two
Nigerians and an Afghan national, for smuggling heroin into the kingdom.

The beheadings raised to 110 the number of people executed so far this year
in the conservative kingdom. A total of 68 people were beheaded in 1996.

An Interior Ministry statement, carried by the official Saudi Press
Agency, said the two Nigerians were executed near the Islamic holy city
of Mecca after being convicted of smuggling heroin in their stomachs.

The Afghan national was also beheaded near Mecca.

Saudi Arabia applies Islamic sharia law by publicly beheading by the
sword convicted murderers, rapists, drug traffickers and other
criminals.

The practice has come in for international criticism in light of a
possible death sentence against a British nurse charged with murdering
an Australian colleague in Saudi Arabia in December.