China sentenced two Hong Kong men to death

China sentenced two Hong Kong men to death for smuggling 36 million yuan (4.3 million dollars) worth of VCD player components into southeast Xiamen city.
The defendants Fang Canshen and Wang Rurong were among 15 people sentenced, including three customs department officials, in Xiamen city, Fujian province. Fang was sentenced to death while Wang was given a death sentence with a two-year reprieve.
A Xiamen customs official was jailed for life while the other 12 were imprisoned for up to 13 years. Fang and Wang worked for two undisclosed Hong Kong companies and used their connections in China to smuggle the goods to the mainland from 2002 to 2003.  cond metplo reordnveco