2010-07-23 16:58

KUNMING - China solved 39,000 drug crime cases in the first six months this year, a public security official told a national police work conference here Friday.

Police arrested 45,000 suspects for drug crimes and dismantled 111 illegal drug-making plants, said Liu Yuejin, head of the anti-drug department of the Ministry of Public Security.

In the first half of the year, police nationwide seized 2.7 tonnes of heroin, up 17 percent year on year, and 3.6 tonnes of methamphetamine (also known as "ice"), up 13 percent year on year, Liu said.

Liu said police and the government departments of customs, transportation and post made joint efforts in an special crackdown on illegal drugs.

Police uncovered 162,000 drug users in the six month period, among whom 95,000 were new users, taking the number of registered Chinese drug users to over 1.43 million, Liu said.

According to Liu, in the six month period, a total of 75,000 drug users in China received compulsory drug addiction treatment in rehabilitation centers while 32,000 drug users received drug rehabilitation without having to live in rehabilitation centers.