Two Russians were arrested on charges of producing illicit narcotics in a joint sting operation conducted by police from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and Russia's Primorskiy Kray on Thursday.

Igor Fotya and Andrey Markin were apprehended at about 8:30 p.m.on April 28 while processing marijuana in a hotel in the eastern Chinese border city of Suifenhe in Heilongjiang Province.

The police also seized 1.6 kilograms of narcotics, 20 kilograms of marijuana and some drug-manufacturing apparatus, including a spin-dryer, 2 electric stoves and 4 drug containers, after searching their hotel room.

According to Cui Cunde, an official with the provincial public security bureau, the bust, the first in China involving Russian nationals, was an example of successful cooperation between China and Russia in the area of drug interdiction.

During the interrogation, Igor said that they had a Russian partner who carried the drugs to the Russian market, but could not provide clear details regarding his name and address.

A notebook containing nearly a hundred Russian telephone numbers was also seized. Russian police believe it will be helpful in locating additional members of the drug ring.

According to official statistics, Heilongjiang is home to a minimum of 50,000 drug addicts. The number of drug busts thus far this year, 2,200, is substantially less than that of last year due to more rigorous anti-drug efforts.

Primorskiy Kray is home to about 40,000 drug addicts, or an average of one out of five residents.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2003)