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)