In coordination with police from Thailand and Myanmar and the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the United States, Chinese
police and customs officers from the Chinese mainland and
Hong Kong recently
cracked down on a large cross-border drug trafficking ring,
confiscating 357 kilograms of heroin and arresting 13 suspected
drug smugglers.
Under the unified command and coordination of the Ministry of
Public Security, an international anti-drug campaign was carried
out between April 5 and 10 to seize drugs hidden in timber to be
transported to Hong Kong from Shenzhen in Guangdong
Province and Simao in
Yunnan Province, said a ministry press release yesterday.
Early in January, police in Yunnan's Simao were informed that a
drug-trafficking group, headed by Xu Lianke, Shao Siguo, Wang
Zuguan and Thailand's Paiboon, were smuggling heroin in large
quantities by concealing it in holes dug in timber.
The drug-trafficking route started in Myanmar and went through
Yunnan and Guangdong provinces, ending in Hong Kong.
After consulting with police, customs and drug fighting departments
in related countries, the China National Narcotic Control
Commission (CNNCC) decided to launch a joint action to crack down
on the group by sharing information and expertise, it said.
On
March 30, a conference was held in Shenzhen by police and customs
authorities from the mainland and Hong Kong and the USDEA to
discuss a detailed operation plan.
On
April 5, Chinese police followed a truck loaded with drugs from
Foshan to Shenzhen and arrested drug-trafficker Hu Yuguang, seizing
70 kilograms of heroin. At the same time, police in Yunnan stopped
a second truck carrying drugs and confiscated 286.95 kilograms of
heroin.
After this, the ministry informed corresponding departments in
Thailand, the United States and Hong Kong to arrest the
drug-traffickers at large.
By
April 10, a total of 13 drug dealers were caught in China, Thailand
and Myanmar, and all the suspects have been sent to China for
further investigation.
China's public security authorities launched a nationwide campaign
starting in early February with the aim of slashing the production,
trafficking and use of drugs.
During the first quarter of the year, Chinese police confiscated a
total of 200,000 tablets of ice, 247 kilograms of ecstasy and 484
tons of chemicals used in producing drugs, as well as shutting down
10 illegal drug processing factories, according to CNNCC.
(China
Daily May 10, 2002)