Chinese and Russian anti-drug police have jointly broken up a transnational drug trafficking ring, arresting 27 people, including three Russians, police from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province said.

Police seized 1,112 grams of methamphetamine, or "ice", as well as narcotics equipment and weapons, according to Heilongjiang Public Security Department.

This is the first such transnational drug trafficking case involving joint Sino-Russian police efforts since the two signed an agreement last year to crack down on drug crime in border areas, according to the department.

The ring was allegedly headed by 33-year-old Guan Hui, a former government driver from Heihe City in Heilongjiang. Guan is alleged to have plotted nine drug trafficking actions since 2005 and dealt in about 4,300 grams of "ice" and ecstasy.

Last November, drug enforcement authorities from Russia's Amur state informed Heilongjiang police that three Russians and two Chinese were smuggling drugs into Russia.

With the assistance of Russian agencies, Heilongjiang police identified the ring's trafficking route from south China's Guangdong Province, to Heihe City and finally to Amur state. All 27 suspects were arrested after 11 months of efforts.

(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2006)