Six suspects accused of illegally trading chemicals used in the manufacture of meth apologized for their ignorance and pleaded for lighter penalties at Changping district court on Wednesday.

The case, which was described by judges as the worst of its kind in China, involved pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, which is a sought-after chemical used in the production of methamphetamine.

It is also, however, the main ingredient of New Kangtaike, a widely used cold medicine.

Liang Xing, 27, from Beijing, and his 60-year-old uncle Xie Qunying bought more than 620 cases of New Kangtaike capsules between September 2009 and January 2010, according to prosecutor Che Yumei.

Some of the capsules were then split and the powder divided into 200 plastic

bags.

After hiding the bags in 10 marble tables they specially ordered from a furniture company, they shipped them to New Zealand.

The buyer of the powder was Li Hang, a Chinese national living in New Zealand. Li intended to sell the medicine at a very high price, since the medicine has been banned in the country since 2004.

Xie Qunying's son, Xie Fei, also 27, previously bought 75 boxes of New Kangtaike capsules between 2006 and 2007 with Liang and sold them the same way, the court heard.

Since the medicine

contains pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, all three were charged with illegally trading

chemicals used to make drugs.

Zhang Haiming, 47, from Shaanxi province, who sold the trio the medicine, was also charged with operating an unlawful business, as were the two medicine salesmen who sold the capsules to him.

Lawyers for the accused argued that none of them knew the chemical could be used to make drugs and that all of them had confessed to their crimes.

"They bought more than 600 boxes of New Kangtaike but sold only 180 bags, and even that was seized by New Zealand police," said Ouyang Jihua, Xie Qunying's attorney. "That means the medicine hasn't had an effect on society.

"The country (China) doesn't have strict restrictions on medicines," he added.

"If it had banned or put a limit on the buying of the medicine, all this might not have happened."

However, although the defense lawyers agreed the defendants deserved

leniency, they disagreed on who was the principal offender.

Sentence is pending.

China Daily

(China Daily 04/07/2011)