China executes Japanese drug smugglers

China executed three Japanese citizens today for drug smuggling and trafficking, state media said, following China's first execution of a Japanese citizen in decades earlier this week.

The official Xinhua News Agency said Teruo Takeda, 67, Hironori Ukai, 48, and Katsuo Mori, 67, were put to death in northeastern Liaoning Province, citing an announcement by the Supreme People's Court.

Japan's Kyodo news agency said the men were believed to have been executed by lethal injection.

China executes more people every year than any other country for a range of crimes, including financial offences.

Takeda was convicted of buying five kilograms of methamphetamine in China in June 2003 and arranging to have it smuggled to Japan, Xinhua said.

Ukai was caught at an airport in the northeastern city of Dalian in September 2003 attempting to smuggle 1.5 kilograms of drugs through security, it said. The report did not specify what kind of drugs were involved.

Mori was caught trying to board a plane to Japan in the northeastern city of Shenyang while carrying 1.5 kilograms of unspecified drugs in July 2003, it said.

On Tuesday, China put 65-year-old Mitsunobu Akano to death for drug smuggling, marking the first execution of a Japanese citizen since the countries established diplomatic relations in 1972.

News of Akano's death sparked a small peaceful demonstration outside the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo. Activists held signs in Chinese opposing the death penalty and mourning Akano.

Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told reporters Akano's execution was "regrettable".