Japanese citizen Mitsunobu Akano was executed Tuesday in the northeastern Liaoning Province for attempting to smuggle drugs out of China, the Supreme People's Court has announced.

Japanese citizen Mitsunobu Akano was executed on April 6, 2010 in the northeastern Liaoning Province for attempting to smuggle drugs out of China.

Akano, 65, was caught illegally carrying more than 1.544 kilograms of methamphetamine, commonly known as "ice," at an airport in Dalian, Liaoning, through a security check in September 2006.

Police also found another 1.008 kilograms of drugs in the luggage of Akano's accomplice. Both were attempting to take the drugs to Japan.

The courts had clear and irrefutable evidence of drug smuggling and the death sentence was handed down and carried out in line with Chinese law, the announcement said.

Akano had appealed the court's decisions according to his legal rights, but the appeal was rejected.

He had been treated legally during detention and trial, the announcement said.

Drug smuggling is a felony offense under Chinese Criminal Law and those who are convicted of smuggling, selling, transporting or producing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine or heroine can be sentenced to death.

All individuals, regardless of nationality, were treated equally in the application of Chinese law, and China's retention of the death penalty for drugs crimes helped deter and prevent such crimes, the statement said.