27 October 2006 :
four men were executed for destroying oil pipelines in Central China's Henan Province.The court found that Li Shisheng, Guan Youju, Chen Maokuan and Wang Xiangwei, four farmers from Puyang county in Henan Province, stole 437.4 tons of crude oil by drilling holes in oil pipelines in the province between October 2001 and February 2003.
Apart from the loss of crude oil, their actions polluted the environment, according to the court.
The court said the men's actions had posed a serious threat to public safety.
(Sources: Xinhua, 26/10/2006)