Suspected drug users arrested in Shenzhen

Fifty foreigners were among the 95 people who have been detained by the Shenzhen police after testing positive for drug use this week. Most of the cases allegedly tested positive for marijuana consumption.
According to reports, two suspected drug dealers were also arrested in the city’s Shekou district as a result of information provided by the alleged drug users. However, their nationality was not revealed.
Vice Commissioner of China National Narcotics Control Commission, Liu Yuejin, said at a conference in Beijing last week that the number of foreigners detained for alleged drug-related offenses is soaring, and he has called for a police crackdown and stronger international collaboration.
Last year alone, a total of 1,927 foreigners were arrested and 13 tons of drugs were seized. The suspects hail from 39 countries including Myanmar, Vietnam, Nigeria and Pakistan, according to the 2015 China Drug Situation Report.
A Narcotics Control official confirmed that Shenzhen is a prime breeding ground for cross-border drug smuggling due to its proximity to Hong Kong and Macau.
Meanwhile, Macau’s anti-drug law, currently under amendment process, is set to introduce heavier penalties for both drug trafficking and consumption.
Last month, the Times reported that the proposal, currently under detailed discussion in the AL, sees the minimum prison term for drug consumption increase from up to three months to a range of three months to a year, while the minimum penalty for drug trafficking will rise from three years to five in prison, with the maximum limit remaining at 15 years of imprisonment. Staff reporter