The trial of eight members of a drug gang began on Wednesday at the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court. The case is believed to be one of the world's biggest narcotic cases.

The defendants -- Chen Bingxi, his wife Chen Baoyu and six accomplices -- are charged with illegally manufacturing and trafficking more than 12 tons of methamphetamine, or "ice," on the mainland from 1999 to 2002. Chen Bingxi is also charged with obtaining his passport through fraud and deception.

Within a 10-month period, the group allegedly produced 12.4 tons of high-quality "ice" valued at more than US$5.5 billion. The quantity is nearly equal to the entire amount of methamphetamine seized worldwide in 1999.

Chen Bingxi, 49, fled to Thailand but was arrested and repatriated to Guangdong in November 2003. The last of the accomplices were also arrested that year.

The trial is expected to last for several days. If convicted, all eight defendants face a possible death sentence.

The arrests came during a drug crackdown in Guangdong Province, which borders the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

Zhang Qisheng, a senior member of Chen's gang, was arrested in 2002 and found guilty at his trial. He was sentenced to death in Guangzhou in October 2004 for selling and trafficking more than 200 kilograms of the drug.

The size of Chen's operation sent shock waves through both central and provincial governments.

Transporting and possessing narcotics are among the most serious crimes in China and those who are convicted are usually severely punished.

Lawyer Wu Shengda said on Wednesday that the court is inclined to make examples of drug producers and traffickers to deter others.

(China Daily March 24, 2005)