Three men were given jail terms ranging from six months to three years for making drugs, according to a ruling handed down from a court in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

He Qiang was sentenced to three years and fined 10,000 yuan (1,333 U.S. dollars). Bai Yong and Yuan Cheng were sentenced to one year and six months with fines of 4,000 yuan and 3,000 yuan respectively, said the municipal people's court of Chongzhou.

In May last year, He Qiang came across a formula for making drugs when he searched on the Internet for means of making quick money. He then decided to conduct an experiment together with Bai and Yuan before producing drugs in large amounts.

They bought drug materials and chemical apparatus. They even rented a secluded house in the countryside, lest the the pungent smell during experiments should give them away.

In July last year, the police were tipped off and seized 103.8 grams of drugs, including cocaine, ephedrine and ketamine, in the rented house.

He Qiang was found guilty of producing and keeping drugs, while Bei Yong and Yuan Cheng were guilty of assisting in the production, the court said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2008)