CRI听力：China Puts More Effort Into Anti-Drug Campaign

The Chinese government has devoted more effort towards the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

As International Anti-Drug Day arrives on Tuesday, officials say that Beijing will attach more importance to the cause, in terms of police enforcement and prosecution.

CRI reporter Chen Xi has the details.

A senior official with the Ministry of Public Security reveals that although China has been actively committed to the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking worldwide, deteriorating trends around the world have added more pressure to the situation at hand.

Deputy Director of the Anti-Narcotics Bureau of the Public Security Ministry, Liu Yuejin said China still encounters great challenges, particularly in areas of cross-border drug trafficking.

"Drug cartels and other criminals use many secretive methods in their drug trafficking activities, such as by means of air, land and sea. As to China, we are facing the threat both from cross-border regions and inland provinces."

Liu Yuejin stressed that public security departments at grassroots levels should enhance and strengthen their enforcement in this regard.

He added that drug abuse and illicit trafficking have spawned new phenomena of late, there is a growing trend toward participation in cartel-orientated crime, new types of drugs have hit the streets and complex two-way-trafficking methods have been developed, all of which highly endanger the interests of public security.

To crack down on such crimes, police units nationwide will continue to improve their information sharing and co-ordination skills. International co-operation also tops the agenda.

Spokesman for China's highest court, the Supreme People's Court, Ni Shouming said severe punishments for drug crimes will be witnessed in the court system in the future.

"For extremely-serious crimes and criminals, the the Supreme Court will levy severe sentences or even the death penalty. This is different for those who are involved in only the transport process of these crimes."

Statistics from the Supreme People's Court show that from January 2006 to May 2007, China's courts received 50,000 cases regarding drug crimes. Among them, over 20-thousand criminals, were given "heavy penalties".

Chen Xi, CRI News.