Westerners Draw Stiff Sentences as China Battles Drugs
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BEIJING — In a display of China’s determination to fight its growing drug problem, a court Monday convicted two Britons and two Germans on hashish charges and imposed jail sentences of up to 15 years.
The 15-year sentence, given to one of the Britons, was one of the harshest China has imposed on a Westerner for any crime short of espionage. The others received sentences of eight to 8 1/2 years.
Several people from Hong Kong and Myanmar have been executed on drug charges.
The sentences reflect China’s growing concern over a resurgence in drug sales and use, which was virtually wiped out under the Communists in the 1950s. International smugglers have begun routing opium from Myanmar, formerly Burma, through China to Hong Kong and the West.
None of the Westerners sentenced Monday were part of major drug rings.
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