An Australian national, whose Chinese name might be transliterated as Kam Giles, was sentenced to death for drug smuggling in the first trial by a court in Guangzhou on June 10, the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court revealed. The only other information from the court, said the person’s property was confiscated.
Already troubled relations worsened recently after China reacted furiously to Australia’s call for an independent investigation into the origins of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
According to Chinese local media, the man was arrested at Guangzhou Baiyun airport, north-west of Hong Kong, in December 2013 with more than 7.5kg of methamphetamine in his checked luggage.
The single-sentence notice revealed no details about the defendant besides his Australian nationality and that he would have all his property confiscated.
Last year, separately, China sentenced two Canadian nationals to death on drug trafficking charges during an escalating diplomatic row with Canada over the arrest of top Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.
Canadian attempts to plead for clemency for Robert Schellenberg and Fan Wei have so far not been successful.
China has additionally detained two Canadian nationals, including a former diplomat, on spying charges, widely believed to be in retaliation for Meng’s arrest.
According to Chinese criminal law, the highest punishment for criminals who smuggle more than 50 grams of meth could be death.
source: guangzhou daily news
