Six people were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from three to six years for illegal cutting down 28 Chinese yew trees, a rare species of trees now under strict state protection.
The six were given the verdicts at the first instance of trial at a local people's court at the foot of the Changbai Mountains in northeast China's Jilin Province this week.
The six offenders were also fined for illegal logging of the precious trees last May.
The Chinese yew, having beautiful yellow-green or light red-brown colored trigs and flower-like leaves in autumns, is on the verge of extinction.
Materials extracted from the Chinese yew is believed to containstrong anti-cancer elements.
China adopted years ago regulations for the protection of precious and rare trees and plants.
(Eastday 01/29/01)
