Drug Cases Cracked in China's Nationwide Clampdown

Chinese police cracked a host of drug cases since a nationwide campaign against narcotics was launched in September, the Ministry of Public Security confirmed November 14.

In southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, police clamped down a drug smuggling ring, confiscating 1,772 grams of heroin, 579 tablets of MDMA, an amphetamine drug, and two grams of "ice."

Headed by Ruan Shengzhao, Song Manqing and Zhang Rubao, the drug ring smuggled various kinds of narcotics between Chongqing and Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong Province.

On October 9, police officers seized criminal suspect Zhang Bin at a hospital in downtown Beijing, and found 3.7 kilograms of "ice " that he possessed.

In a routine inspection, police destroyed two "ice" manufacturing sites in Boluo County of Guangdong and seized three criminal suspects, confiscating 8.4 kilograms of "ice," two handguns, one hunting rifle, and 121 bullets.

On September 29, two police officers found 490 tablets of MDMA and some 75 grams of marijuana in the luggage of two passengers at the Changchun Railway Station in northeast China.

According to official sources, Chinese police uncovered more than 130 "ice" related cases during the January-July period of this year, with more than 17 tons of "ice" confiscated, surpassing the total volume of "ice" seized in 1999.

China began the four-month operation in September to fight against drug-related crimes and to strengthen the management of raw chemical trade.

Government departments participating in the operation include: the General Administration of Customs, the State Economic and Trade Commission, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the State Drug Administration, as well as the Ministry of Public Security.

China faces a tough drug problem, with more than 680,000 drug addicts on record by the end of 1999, 80 percent of whom were male.

Approximately 78 percent of China's drug addicts are between ages 17 and 35, and 72 percent of the country's drug population are heroin users, according to the Ministry of Public Security.



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