BEIJING, Dec. 17 -- Chinese police have captured 63,000 suspects and seized 18.2 tonnes of drugs including heroin and methamphetamine in the latest anti-drug campaign, the Ministry of Public Security said Tuesday.

Police across China have cracked 56,000 drug cases and broken up 1,174 trafficking gangs, according to a statement from the ministry.

Eight police officers have been killed and another 18 injured in the campaign, according to the statement, adding that 460 drug-related places have been sealed up during the campaign.

Police in Yunnan and Guangxi seized 6.1 tonnes of drugs from overseas, while in Inner Mongolia, Guangdong and Sichuan, 20.2 tonnes of materials used to produce drugs such as ephedrine were taken.

More than 6,200 tip-offs have been received from the public during the campaign.

In addition, 154 individuals and 82 groups have been honored for their contribution to the campaign, according to the statement.