Five Chinese nationals, a Dutchman and a Frenchman who appealed against the length of their convictions on drug charges have instead been sentenced to death, by Indonesia's Supreme Court.
A court spokesman today said two Indonesians previously sentenced to death in the operation - involving a drug factory capable of producing a million ecstasy pills weekly - had their sentences upheld.
Joko Sarwoko said the panel of judges hearing an appeal yesterday lodged by the syndicate described the drug operation as an act of international organised crime.
"They are experts in ecstasy production," he said by telephone. "The Supreme Court decided to increase the sentence to death penalty."
Dutch national Nicolaas Garnick (61) and 43-year-old Frenchman Serge Areski had previously been jailed for life.
The five Chinese nationals sentenced to death had previously received 20-year jail terms for working at the factory. They were named as Zhang Man Quan (42), Cheng Kong Xin (36), Jian Yu Xin (37), Gan Chun Yi (43) and Zhu Xu Xiong (35).
Police uncovered the operation in 2005 in Banten province, west of Jakarta.
Officials said it was the largest in Southeast Asia and the third biggest in the world, capable of producing one various drugs with a potential street value of $600 million a year. T
he only legal step the group now has is to push for a judicial review if new evidence can be submitted or on technicalities. A presidential pardon is also possible, but this would be extremely rare in drug cases.