Customs authorities in China have busted 109 drug-trafficking cases involving 242.4 kg of drugs in the first three months, the National Narcotics Control Commission Office said Sunday.

A total of 144 suspects were captured during the period, it said.

The numbers of drug-trafficking cases in the first quarter this year and the people involved rose by 67.7 percent and 73.5 percent year on year respectively.

The amount of drugs seized by the authorities also saw an increase of about 64.3 percent compared with that in the same period last year.

Most of the drugs in China were smuggled from abroad, the office said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2009)