The six, who were sentenced to death for drug making and trafficking were executed this morning, China's Supreme People's Court said.

The six were identified by the court as Wang Xilin, Lu Gang, Zhou Zhenjun, Wang Li, Li Ersa and Yan Chaomin. They were involved in four cases of drug making, trafficking or selling, including smuggling of heroin from neighbouring Myanmar, Xinhua news agency reported.

The death penalty on the eve of the UN International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was an apparent move of the Chinese government to demonstrate its determination to crack down on drug related crimes, it said.

The Supreme People's Court said China still faces a grave challenge in anti-drug campaign because of the worsening situation globally.

Courts in China handled some 14,200 drug-related cases during the January-May period, a rise of 12 per cent over the same period last year, the Supreme People's Court said.