Police in southwest China's Yunnan Province have seized 672.9 kilograms of heroin, and confiscated nearly two million HK dollars (US$251,400) along with 2.65 million yuan (nearly US$320,000) while smashing a cross-border drug trafficking operation.
It is the largest case of its kind ever recorded in Asia, according to Minister of Public Security Jia Chunwang.
Police officers of Luoping County, under the jurisdiction of the city of Qujing, said that they detected 651 blocks of heroin inside two trunks transporting timber from Myanmar on November 8, 2001.
A manhunt finally led to the arrest of 20 suspects and the confiscation of 1.9 million yuan in illicit money.
(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2002)
