The number of drug-trafficking cases so far this year has almost doubled in China compared with the same period in 2005, figures released yesterday by China's General Administration of Customs show.

Mainland border police have seized 117 kilograms of heroin, Ketamine and drug-related chemicals, with 23 suspects under arrest in 22 cases.

Customs spokesman Liu Guangping said the increase resulted from intensified crackdowns on drug smuggling along Chinese borders. And while that is true, drug trafficking in the country and near its borders continues to increase, as well.

A customs report shows three tendencies in current drug smuggling in China:

Passenger pathways at border checkpoints have become the main channel for trafficking. About 90 per cent of the drugs this year have been found on passengers or in their luggage during border security checks.

Customs in South China's Guangdong Province are in the teeth of the storm, as 45 per cent of the trafficking cases this year have happened there.

Cases involving Ketamine, a popular club drug for teens and young adults, are on the rise because of high profits. China's strict control over the chemical has also resulted in a rise in its street value, the report says.

Source: China Daily