1.6 lakh held in China for drug-related crimes

Over 1.5 lakh people suspected of drug production or trafficking were arrested in China in 2016, National Narcotics Control Commission said today.
Police seized 82.1 tonnes of drugs, including heroin, methamphetamines and ketamine in 2016, the commission said in a report, adding that the spread of drug-related crime had been effectively contained.
The commission said 725 officials were held accountable for inadequate drug control efforts, as China stepped up its anti-drug message by educating over 100 million students about the dangers of drugs, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
China is home to over a million drug addicts, with 3.57 lakh people successfully treated for addiction in 2016, the commission report said.

A total of 1.68 lakhsuspects were arrested for drug production or trafficking. Nearly 1.4 lakh drug-related criminal cases were also solved, the report added.
China also joined hands with a number of countries to strengthen drug control cooperation. Efforts were made to enhance law enforcement cooperation and share intelligence with the US, Russia and the Philippines, it said.