XINING, March 24 -- Police in northwest China's Qinghai Province have captured two suspects and seized more than 50 kg of heroin in southwestern Yunnan Province during a recent drug bust.

In 2014, police in Xining City, capital of Qinghai, have found people trafficking and selling drugs from Yunnan to Qinghai and Gansu provinces. Shortly after, they launched a team to investigate the case.

Police investigated and searched over 10 cities for more than a year and they learnt in February that the suspects would be in Yunnan in a new drug trafficking attempt.

On March 16, police detained a suspect surnamed Ma in a hotel in Yunnan and seized 3.1 kg heroin at the scene.

On March 19, another suspect, also surnamed Ma, was caught in a parking lot along with over 48 kg of heroin.

Further investigation is underway.

The maximum sentence for anyone convicted of selling or producing more than 50 grams of heroin is the death penalty.