Police share drug case statistics

SHANGHAI police uncovered more than 1,000 drug-related crimes and ordered over 3,000 compulsory detoxifications for drug abusers in the first five months of this year, officers said.

Other data released by police show that nearly 80 percent of the city’s registered drug users are male, and people under 35 years of age account for more than 35 percent of users.

According to police, the local drug market is mainly dominated by methamphetamine, while the presence of heroin is declining. Marijuana, cocaine and other narcotics also exist in the market. Last year the volume of synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and ketamine seized rose by 18.1 percent compared with 2016. Synthetic drugs accounted for 64.1 percent of total seizures.

Along with traditional drug trafficking and smuggling methods, many narcotic deals are now accomplished online, transacted via third-party payment and shipped through express delivery. These new practices make it harder to stop trafficking, say authorities.

In one notable drug bust detailed by authorities, officers in Minhang District suspected a person surnamed Xu to be a drug dealer and nabbed him with almost 50 grams of methamphetamine last October. Xu was later identified as a member of a trafficking ring led by a man surnamed Shi. The group transported drugs from Chengdu and Chongqing cities to Jiangsu Province and the outskirts of Shanghai.

Police say Shi was planning to organize a deal on more than 10 kilograms of methamphetamine in January. Shi and another man were captured by police in suburban Qingpu District while transacting 3 kilograms of methamphetamine.

In neighboring Suzhou City, police found another kilogram of methamphetamine belonging to the gang and arrested another three members.

On January 16, the last member of the gang was caught by police in Qingpu with 1 kilogram of methamphetamine. An additional 6 kilograms were seized in transit the same day in Suzhou.