The Higher People's Court of Tibet Autonomous Region reduced the sentences of three Nepalese drug traffickers yesterday after they had appealed against an earlier ruling.

Ravi Dahal's death sentence was suspended, Ishori Kumar Shrestha's suspended death sentence reduced to life imprisonment and Rewat Kumar Dahal's 15 years decreased to ten.

A court official said that in May 2003, Ravi and Rewat Dahal, at the request of people abroad, arrived in Tibet and contacted receivers of heroin shipments on several occasions. Shrestha was asked to provide and check samples.

On May 28, overseas drug dealers trafficked a large amount of heroin into Tibet, and hid it in a warehouse rented by Shrestha. Ravi and Rewat Dahal then informed their clients to take delivery.

Customs officers seized 29.85 kilograms of heroin and arrested Shrestha in the warehouse. With his help they also tracked and apprehended Ravi and Rewat Dahal.

The first trial by Lhasa Intermediate People's Court issued its verdicts on May 30. The Higher People's Court modified the punishments on the basis that they had only played the role of go-betweens and that Shrestha provided vital information for the other two's arrest.

The Higher People's Court of Tibet has kept the region's Nepalese consulate general informed about the case.

(Xinhua News Agency December 22, 2004)