Akmal Shaikh (5 April 1956 – 29 December 2009) was a Pakistani-born British businessman who was convicted and executed in China for illegally trafficking approximately 4kg of heroin. The trial and execution attracted significant media attention in the UK. Shaikh was born in Pakistan and moved to the United Kingdom as a child. After a couple of failed businesses, Shaikh moved to Poland with his second wife in 2005 with the dream of starting an airline, and later of becoming a pop star. He travelled from Poland to China and was arrested by Chinese customs officers at Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport on 12 September 2007 with 4 kilograms (8.818 lb) of heroin hidden in a compartment in his baggage.