Drug lord gets death sentence (2)

Naw Kham and his gang were found to have masterminded and colluded with Thai soldiers in an attack on two Chinese cargo ships, the Hua Ping and Yu Xing 8, on Oct 5, 2011, on the Mekong River, the court said in an investigative report.

Under Naw Kham's instructions, several of his subordinates were also found to have kidnapped Chinese sailors and hijacked cargo ships in exchange for ransom money in early April 2011, according to the report.

Chinese sailors were tied up and brutally beaten, and the ship owner was forced to pay a ransom of 25 million yuan before the sailors were released.

The crime ring was busted earlier this year, in a joint operation by police from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, after the brutal murders triggered an outcry in China.

Naw Kham was arrested in Laos in May, and transferred to China on a chartered plane.

About 300 people were present at Tuesday's sentencing, including relatives and friends of the victims, diplomats from Laos and Thailand and the press. Simultaneous translations were provided.

"Considering the serious consequence of the crime, we will seriously punish them in accordance with Chinese laws," Yan Hui, the presiding judge, said in court.

"It's the first time foreign suspects who committed crimes against Chinese nationals outside China have been brought to China to stand trial, and will face the death sentence," Zhou Andong, a judge from the criminal tribunal of the court, said during a news conference after the verdict was delivered.