13 arrested for drug trafficking in SW China

KUNMING - Police in Southwest China's Yunnan province have arrested 13 suspected drug traffickers and confiscated more than 34 kg of drugs, local authorities said Monday.

Four suspects were caught on February 12 handling 32.296 kg of heroin and 39 grams of methamphetamine in Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Dali, local police said, adding that two motorcycles were also confiscated.

The police later arrested a major suspect who hid 1,875 grams of heroin, a Type 54 pistol and 82 bullets in his house in Xichang city of Sichuan province.

Four suspects were caught around 8 pm in Chengdu city and two cars used to smuggle drugs were confiscated. Four others were arrested in Huaping county of Lijiang city on February 13.

Police in Lijiang city, which have been investigating the drug trafficking ring since December, said it is the largest such case they have ever cracked.

The ring are suspected of buying drugs along Yunnan's borderline and transporting them to Xichang and Chengdu of Sichuan province via Baoshan and Dali of Yunnan.

According to Chinese law, people who smuggle, sell, transport or manufacture an amount of heroin greater than 50 grams can be sentenced to 15 years in jail, life imprisonment or even death.

Yunnan borders Myanmar, Laos and Thailand and sits close to the "Golden Triangle" region, which is notorious for drug production and trafficking.