Two recidivist drug traffickers have been sentenced to life imprisonment after they were caught trafficking drugs again, according to Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People’s Court.

The two, surnamed Shi and Chen, had been jailed for transporting drugs. They became friends in the prison. Shi was released in 2013 and Chen was released in 2015.

On May 26, 2016, Shi managed to contact another former cellmate surnamed Fang, also a drug trafficker. Fang said he had large amounts of methamphetamine, commonly known as ice, and lured Shi to engage in the illegal yet lucrative business again.

Shi couldn’t resist the temptation and the two reached a deal of 941 grams of methamphetamine.

Two days later, Fang ordered Chen to take the drugs from Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, to Shanghai. They traded in a public bath, and Shi paid 65,000 yuan (US$9,996) for the drugs.

Then, Shi took the drugs to the home of one of his friends surnamed Yang. Knowing it was drugs, Yang still helped Shi to repackage them into ten small bags as he thought he had to offer hands to his friend.

According to tip-off, police caught Chen, Shi and Yang the same day, and seized the all of the drugs from Yang’s home.

Convicted of illegal drug trafficking, Chen and Shi have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

According to China’s Criminal Law, punishment ranges from 15 years or more behind bars to the death penalty for the trafficking of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, or 1,000 grams or more of opium or heroin.

As Yang didn’t directly involved in the drug trafficking and he had expressed regrets, he was granted lighter sentence. He has been sentenced to eight years behind bars, court said.