7 TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH

The country's top court announced yesterday that it had approved the
death penalty for seven drug traffickers.

Three principals of a cross-border drug crime, Yan Hanlong, Li Zibin
and Xiong Shiwei, were sentenced to death for the "extremely huge
amount" of 42 kg of heroin they smuggled from Myanmar.

Wang Guangyou organized heroin trafficking by getting villagers in
Guizhou Province to transport 806 grams of heroin from Kunming,
Yunnan Province.

Zhang Hong'an, who had long been engaged in cross-border drug crimes
as the leader of a trafficking gang.

Long Congbin, who had served imprisonment for drug trafficking before
his latest conviction.

Guo Shichen, who traded in new types of drugs such as ecstasy and
"magu", a Thai word for a stimulant drug that is a combination of
methamphetamine and caffeine. Guo's trading of "magu" amounted to
1,275 grams, well above the threshold for a death sentence.

Ni Shouming, spokesman for the Supreme People's Court, said the top
court will show no leniency in handing down the maximum penalty to
kingpins of drug trafficking gangs and those who participate in
cross-border drug crimes.