China joins neighbors to battle drugs barons

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 01, 2004

China joins neighbors to battle drugs barons

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The cracking of a major cross-border drugs ring and the seizure of 12 million US dollars worth of methamphetamine last month was just the latest in a string of successes for China's international anti-drugs cooperation, said asenior police official Monday.

Luo Feng, Vice-Minister of Public Security and deputy director of the National Narcotics Control Commission (NNCC), said the casewas the result of a joint campaign launched by the police of Chinaand the Philippines.

On Feb. 12, drug control departments in the two countries solved "9.2" drug case with the code dubbed by the ministry last September.

The police arrested five people and netted 296 kg of "ice", or methamphetamine, worth 100 million yuan or 12.1 million US dollars,in the Philippines' capital Manila and retrieved 1.97 million yuan(238,210 US dollars) in illicit earnings in China.

It was only one of the achievements of China's international anti-drug cooperation in recent years, Luo said.

On March 30, 2003, Myanmar drugs control department, in a jointoperation with Chinese counterparts and using Chinese intelligence,destroyed a large drug processing factory on the Myanmar-Thai border, killing nine drug traffickers at the scene, arresting 37 and seizing about half a ton of heroin, morphine and opium.

Statistics from the ministry show that from January to October in 2003, China launched 38 joint campaigns with Myanmar and Laos in the border areas, seizing 281 kg of heroin, 8 kg of methamphetamine and 429 kg of opium.

Meanwhile, 19 major drug traffickers or escaped suspects were also arrested and extradited to China by Myanmar.

Luo said the Chinese government placed great importance on its anti-drug cooperation with neighboring countries.

Last July, China sent a delegation to attend the Senior Officials Meeting and Ministerial Meeting on Drug Control Cooperation held by China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and India, which adopted the Chiangrai Declaration to promote cooperation in replacing drug plants with legal crops and controlling precursor chemicals.

Luo said China continued to assist farmers in Myanmar and Laos to plant legal crops instead of opium in a bid to cut off sources for the Golden Triangle, an area bordering Thailand, Myanmar and Laos where drug production flourished.

Statistics show that China has helped Wanhong Prefecture of Myanmar plant about 133 hectares of hybrid rice and promote rubbercultivation in three northern provinces of Laos.

China also signed the anti-drugs action plan with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the memorandum of understanding for anti-drugs cooperation in the East Asia sub-region.

It trained 115 law enforcement officers for Myanmar and Laos inthe past two years and held talks with neighboring countries, suchas Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar, in 2003.

Facing growing threats from the Golden Crescent, a major drugs production base in central Asia, China was prepared to sign a cooperation agreement with the other Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members -- Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- and was also discussing specific cooperative protocols with Russia and Iran, Luo said.

Statistics show the yearly opium yield in the Golden Crescent reached 3,600 tons last year and is expected to exceed 4,000 tons this year.

In addition, the Chinese government also expanded information exchanges and cooperation with the United States, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan.

Last May, police forces of China, the United States, India and Hong Kong jointly cracked the "125" transnational drugs trafficking ring, arresting 28 people, seizing 40.2 kg of heroin, 80 kg of methamphetamine and 35 kg of ephedrine.

"China will continue to collaborate with these countries in cracking down on drug-related cases and play a bigger role in the international community this year," Luo said.

Source: Xinhua

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