A Chinese court Tuesday sentenced one Nepalese to death with reprieve and two other Nepalese to life and ten years' imprisonment respectively for involvement in trafficking 29.85 kilograms of heroin.

In the second instance trial of the case, the Higher People's Court of Tibet Autonomous Region sentenced Ravi Dahal to death with reprieve, Ishori Kumar Shrestha to imprisonment for life and Rewat Kumar Dahal to 10 years' imprisonment on charges of drug trafficking, with all their personal property confiscated.

A court official said that in May 2003, Ravi and Rewat, at the request of people abroad, got to Tibet from Nepal and contacted receivers of heroin shipments on several occasions. Ishori was requested to provide and check samples.

On May 28, overseas drug dealers trafficked a large amount of heroin into Tibet, and hid it in a warehouse rented by Ishori. Ravi and Rewat then informed their clients to take the delivery.

Chinese customs officers seized 29.85 kilograms of heroin and Ishori in the warehouse, and under Ishori's help, the customs officers seized Ravi and Rewat.

In the first instance trial, held in public, the Lhasa Intermediate People's Court issued verdicts on May 30, 2004, sentencing Ravi Dahal to death, Ishori Kumar Shrestha to death with a two-year reprieve and Rewat Kumar Dahal to 15 years' imprisonment plus expulsion after completing the term of imprisonment.

The three Nepalese appealed to the Higher People's Court of Tibet. The court ruled that they only played the role of go-betweens in the drug deal and Ishori contributed to the cracking of the case, and issued the final verdict.

The court official said the three defendants' rights were well protected during the trials. They and their counsels had conducted defense according to law.

The Higher People's Court of Tibet has informed the consulate general of Nepal in Tibet about the case, and its acting consul general visited the three Nepalese on June 16, 2004.

Source: Xinhua