CHINA: TWO INDIANS FACE DEATH IN CHINA FOR SMUGGLING DRUGS

two Indian Tamils, one a native of Thanjavur and the other from Ramanathapuram, were sentenced to death by a Chinese court for narcotics smuggling. Though arrested in separate incidents last year in different provinces, both were sentenced on the same day by a court in Zhuohai. Askar Miyan was arrested by Chinese customs on February 22, 2007, on charges of possession and smuggling of a banned substance. A communique from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated "Askar Miyan and Hussain Mydeen smuggled drugs into China... police checked Askar’s luggage and found 1301 grams of heroin. In April 2007, Askar’s family received a letter from Chinese government. A Chinese colleague translated the letter which said his brother had been arrested on charges of drug smuggling. Mydeen was caught when he entered Ghuang Zhou province on March 31, 2007. 38 pieces of heroin, about 300.09 grams, were recovered from Mydeen’s stomach. He was travelling under a fake name and he confessed to Chinese authorities that he worked as a drug smuggler.