A drug kingpin was sentenced to death Friday in Beijing and three others received sentences ranging from suspended death to 10 years in prison in the largest drug-manufacturing case ever busted in the capital.

Liang Ruinan, a key organizer of the drug ring, was found guilty of manufacturing 166 kilograms of methamphetamine, popularly known as "ice," with three others in late March last year in a rented house in the city's Chaoyang District, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court said.

The 41-year-old was sentenced to death while three others, Chen Bing, Li Huicheng and Cheng Zhongying, received suspended death, life imprisonment and 10 year in jail, respectively.

The four stood trial on June 26 this year.

Chen and Liang were accidentally arrested by police on April 2 last year. Chen, who could not bear the smell given off by the drug manufacturing in the house, went out for a stroll. When he was spotted fiddling with a motorcycle near a bridge, the owner alerted police for he thought Chen was stealing his motorbike.

Police were then led to Chen's residence where they found six barrels of liquid, later confirmed to be methamphetamine, and drug-making tools.

Cheng was arrested about one month later by Beijing police. Li Huicheng was caught by Thai police on Dec. 19 and was brought back to Beijing three days later.

According the court, the ring had planned to take the drug overseas.

(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2007)