In some provinces in China, possession of 50 g (1.7 ounces) of heroin warrants the death penalty. The amount differs in other provinces.
According to the Supreme People's Court (SPC), in one case, two people were involved in smuggling, trading and transporting more than 775 kg (1,708 lbs) of heroin from February 2001 to September 2005, along the border areas of Myanmar, and the Yunnan and Guangdong provinces.
In the second case, another two men were found to have produced nearly 9.8 kg of magu, a methamphetamine similar to ice. The haul was seized in the Henan province in 2006.
In the third case, He Jianjun and Zhang Fuyou, both repeat offenders, were caught trafficking 604 g (21 ounces) of heroin between January to March last year in Nanning, capital of Guangxi.
Thursday marked International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
According to Amnesty International, China executes more offenders per year than any other country with many executions carried out in secret. In 2007, at least 470 offenders were executed, down from the estimated 1,010 people put to death in 2006
