1,291 drug-related cases busted in first five months

BEIJING: China's railway police nabbed 496.8 kilograms of drugs in
crackdown of 1,291 drug-related cases in the first five months, the
public security department of the Ministry of Railways said Saturday.

More than 1,500 drug suspects were detained, said the
ministry.

It cited the Kunming Railway Station, a "drug control frontier" which
blocked six drug crimes cases and seized 1.06 kg of drugs in 24 hours.

As the closest major Chinese city located near the Golden Triangle in
Southeast Asia as well as the main linking point in intentional drug
smuggling, Kunming, the capital city of Yunan Province, plays a
critical role in China's anti-drug efforts.

The police department of the Kunming Railway Station seized 31 kg of
drugs in handling 242 crime cases in the first five months. 283
suspects were detained.

The ministry said it has sent six groups to the country's major
railway arteries to enhance anti-drug efforts.

Zhang Jun, vice president of the Supreme People's Court, said last
Thursday, or one day ahead of the nation's annual anti-drug day, that
China still faced a grave challenge in anti-drug campaigns because of
the worsening situation globally.

Courts across China handled 14,282 drug-related cases between January
and May, up 12 percent over the same period last year. In these cases,
6,379 people were convicted and received severe penalties, ranging
from five years' imprisonment to capital punishment, Zhang said.