A court in southern China has sentenced eight African drug smugglers to death, with a two-year reprieve

Another was given a life sentence at a mass court hearing in the southern city of Guangzhou. The convicted smugglers are from Uganda, Benin and Zimbabwe. A two-year reprieve means their sentence can be commuted into a life sentence after two years of good behavior. Six of the smugglers had drugs found hidden inside their bodies. The government has admitted it is facing an uphill struggle dealing with a flood of drugs coming across its borders, mainly from Southeast and central Asia.