China’s severe battle against cross-border drug trafficking

China is close to two significant sources of drugs: the Golden Triangle, or the mountainous area overlapping Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, and the Golden Crescent, located along the borders of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.
According to satellite monitoring data, the total area used to grow poppies in northern Myanmar increased by 41 percent from 31 700 hectares in 2011 to around 44 866 hectares this year, the statement said.
China has also seen more synthetic drugs smuggled from Myanmar, with border police seeing a notable increase in the amount of such drugs smuggled across the border, the official said.
The official quoted a UN report as saying that the total area used to grow poppies in Afghanistan grew by 7 percent to 131,000 hectares in 2011, with a total output of about 5,800 tonnes of opium.
Drug trafficking from Afghanistan to China has also become more active, with police in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region confiscating 20 times more drugs last year than in 2010, the official said.
China has worked to step up cross-border anti-drug smuggling efforts, including training more police officers and providing financial assistance to neighbouring countries.
China has provided Laos with US$600 000 to help set up drug rehabilitation centres, as well as sent medication, the official said. About US$47.62 million has been spent to help farmers in Myanmar and Laos to replace poppies with other crops, the official said.
China police have investigated more than 10 drug cases with their counterparts in Laos, Myanmar and Thailand since 2009, and received help from the countries to check information on another 30 cases, the official said.
Through co-operation with Myanmar police, more than 60 Chinese suspects involved in drug dealing have been caught and transferred back to China, the official said.
However, difficulties remain in preventing cross-border drug smuggling, largely due to differences between the legal systems of China and neighbouring countries, the official said.
For instance, problems may occur in attempting to extradite suspects who might face capital punishment in China from countries that do not impose the death penalty, the official said, adding that legal differences can also make evidence exchanges more difficult. — Xinhua.