The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) held a press conference on
Wednesday to report on its progress in the campaign against illegal
drugs, which was launched in August.
As part of the campaign, for the first time ever the MPS is
offering nationwide cash rewards for information leading to the
arrests of five suspected drug kingpins, said Chen Cunyi, deputy
director of the Ministry of Public Security's Narcotics Control
Bureau. The rewards total 380,000 yuan (US$46,000).
The five suspects are Liu Zhaohua, Luo Youwen, Ma Shunsu, Qiu
Heshui and Liu Shaotong.
Different reward amounts are offered for each suspect. The
highest is the 200,000 yuan (US$24,000) bounty offered for Liu
Zhaohua, a methamphetamine manufacturer from southeast China's Fujian
Province.
The MPS also provided a Beijing telephone number to report
information: 010-6520 4111.
Chen said that since the crackdown began in August, police have
broken up 1,045 drug-related groups, arrested 10,537 suspects and
seized 6.3 tons of drugs, including 3.2 tons of heroin, 2.0 tons of
cannabis, 436.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, 218.9 kilograms of
opium and 73.7 kilograms of ecstasy.
Twelve police officers have died in gun battles with armed drug
dealers during the campaign.
Police in China and Thailand worked together to shut down a
cross-border drug trafficking group in southwest China's Yunnan
Province. The effort resulted in the seizure of 463 kilograms
of heroin and the arrest of eight suspects.
Chinese police first arrested four suspects in Yunnan between
September 23 and October 26.
Thai police seized Liu Gangyi, the group's leader, in Bangkok on
October 29.
To date, 564 cases, each involving more than 1 kilogram of
drugs, have been solved by the joint police task force, and 66
cross-border drug smuggling groups broken up.
As a result of the campaign, the price of drugs across the
country has soared. For example, the price of heroin in some
frontier districts of Yunnan has increased 126 percent.
"It is a good phenomenon, which means our nationwide narcotics
control battle has successfully restrained the underground drug
market," Chen said.
The campaign also targeted dancehalls, nightclubs and other
places of entertainment where drug users and dealers gather.
Police have inspected 40,780 such venues across the country,
shut down 106 and suspended operations of 402.
Rehabilitation of drug users is also a part of the campaign. So
far, 84,633 drug users have been put into rehabilitation.
There are about 1 million registered drug users in China.
In recent years, China has stepped up cooperation with the
United Nations, Southeast Asian countries, the US, Japan, South
Korea and elsewhere to tackle drug-related issues.
"China is still faced with a serious situation in its fight
against drugs," Chen said. Anti-drug campaign plans call for the
establishment of long-term mechanisms to help eliminate
drug-related problems.
(China Daily November 25, 2004)