TWO men were sentenced to death yesterday for running a multibillion-yuan business involving more than two tons of the methamphetamine drug known as ice.

Shanghai No.2 Intermediate People’s Court also dealt with 13 other members with the gang. Six were granted reprieves from the death penalty, four were sentenced to life imprisonment, and three received jail terms ranging from seven to 15 years.

On January 20, 2015, Shanghai police seized 40 bags of suspicious white powder from a car driving to Shanghai that was stopped by the Fengjing toll gate on the G60 Highway.

Tests showed the powder, weighing nearly 40 kilograms, was ice. Investigation found a drug wholesaler Yu Xiyu was linked to the deal. By tracing him, police discovered an underground drug workshop hidden in a mountainous area of Guangdong Province.

Police said the workshop was set up by Chen Shaoai and Huang Guoluan in an abandoned house owned by Luo Lieshu in Shanwei City.

On January 30, 2015, Chen took some drugs from the workshop that he intended to sell to Yu but police ambushed Chen and seized 168kg of ice, one pistol and 11 bullets. At the same time, Huang, Yu and Luo, and others, were detained.

Police confiscated 907 grams of drugs from Yu, 1.49 million yuan of drug money, an illegally made pistol and six bullets. In the workshop, police found two tons of ice.

Chen and Yu were sentenced to death for severe drug offenses and illegal possession of firearms. Huang was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve.