The government of Macao Special Administration Region (SAR) announced Friday a new bill concerning the revision of current laws on drug-related crimes, which proposed a maximum 15-year imprisonment for illicit production and trafficking of drugs.

The bill, the Banning of Illicit Production, Trafficking and Abuse of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substance (usually known as drugs), is introduced to amend the relevant law that is already in place for 17 years, according to a press statement from the SAR government.

The bill proposes that the maximum imprisonment terms for illegally peddling and producing drugs be extended from the original 12 years to 15 years, while increasing the terms for the minimum imprisonment.

In addition, since it is much easier nowadays to obtain equipment and materials from the market for drug production, the bill also proposes to criminalize the manufacturing and possessing of such things.

The government said that the bill is introduced with the aim to take tougher legal actions in preventing and fighting drug-related crimes in the city.

(Xinhua News Agency June 14, 2008)