Chinese police detained
61,300 suspects and handled 53,000 cases in
a recent crackdown on drug crimes,
the Ministry of Public Security
said.
A national campaign was
launched in late January, and as
of May 9 it had resulted in the
seizure of 17 metric tons of heroin
and methamphetamine, nearly three times
the amount seized during the same
period last year.
Police also
smashed 274 manufacturing dens and seized
4,438 tons of chemicals and other raw
materials used for producing narcotics,
the ministry said.
"The huge
demand for drugs among addicts and
the temptation of high profits for
trafficking are the reasons for the
high incidence of such crimes," said
Liu Yuejin, director of the Ministry
of Public Security's Narcotics
Department.
In March, the
number of registered drug addicts
nationwide was 2.14 million, up 47 percent
from 2008, ministry figures show. The
number of registered drug addicts
taking synthetic drugs was also up
to 83,400, a rise of 28.5 percent
compared with 2008.
According to
the ministry, in some regions and
areas more than 30 percent of crime,
including theft and robbery, are
blamed on drug addicts, and the
annual illegal consumption of drugs is
more than 60 billion yuan ($9.77 billion)
nationwide.
In addition, gun-related
drug crimes have increased sharply,
with national anti-drug police seizing 739
kinds of guns and 29,000 bullets as
of May 9, said Yang Zhaohui, a
senior official with the ministry's
narcotics department.
In February,
Guangxi police, together with Tianjin
and Liaoning police, uncovered a major
gun and drugs manufacturing case. The
police destroyed a drug processing
factory and an illegal den for
manufacturing guns in Tianjin, according
to the ministry.
They seized
six guns and gun-making equipment and
parts.
Moreover, drug traffickers
took advantage of legal loopholes and
often used logistics and express
delivery to transport drugs, Yang
said.
"Under the influence and
development of the international drug
situation, we are facing a tough
task to combat drug crimes," Liu
said, adding that anti-drug work will
constantly meet new
challenges.
Police will investigate
national entertainment venues and bars
to fight against drug addicts and
traffickers, and collect clues to
destroy drug trafficking rings and
networks, he added.
CASE LAYS
FOUNDATION
On March 19, police
officers from China and Laos captured
five men as they tried to
smuggle more than 500 kg of narcotics
on the Mekong River.
That
case not only marked the first
time the countries had cooperated to
combat drugs trafficking, it also laid
the foundation for the ongoing
crackdown, which also includes Myanmar
and Thailand, according to the
Ministry of Public Security.
Yu
Haibin, an officer with the
ministry's narcotics department, took
part in the investigation.
"We
got a lead that a gang might
transport drugs on the river in
November, so we talked to the
Laos police authority," he
said.
In March, Chinese
officers received another tip about
the same gang and started the
investigation.
"Only several
commanders from the two countries were
kept informed,"Yu said.
Pang
Weihua, a officer who joined the
operation, said he did not know
what the task was until when he
was dispatched to a contact station
between China and Laos.
It
was said the gang would pass
through the station, but they did
not appear until morning on March 19,
he said. "After a discussion, we
decided to stop them
upriver."
However, a shoal in
Laos was about 60 kilometers far from
the station, but all Pang had
were four motorboats that had never
been driven more than 18
km.
"We finally decided to
have a try, or else the drugs
might be removed or sold at
that area," Pang said. "We found
the target after about two
hours."
The principal suspect
was found in a bathroom, and
the drugs were discovered below
deck.