China will launch a nationwide campaign to fight illegal drug trafficking next month.

The five-month intensive crackdown will target sales and production of drugs as well as money laundering, said a senior official with the Ministry of Public Security.

The drive aims to clog up sources of drugs and curb an increase in the number of drug users, said Yang Fengrui, director of the ministry's anti-drug department.

"While destroying drug trafficking networks, anti-drug departments will work to cut off the channels of drug dealing and smash drug-processing hideouts," Yang told a press conference on Wednesday.

Entertainment venues where drugs are sold or used will be given penalties and drug dealers will be seriously punished, he said.

Additional efforts will be made to block the major drug trafficking channels, Yang said.

They include land routes from Myanmar to Kunming in Yunnan Province through the city of Ruili and the counties of Zhenkang and Menglian in the province and water ways from Xiamen in Fujian Province to Jinmen. Other water routes lead overseas from Guangzhou, Yantian and Shekou ports in Guangdong Province and Dalian Port in Liaoning Province.

Several cities have been listed as major drug distribution and transfer stations, including Kunming and Dali in Southwest China's Yunnan Province and Guangzhou and Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province.

China is facing great pressure due to drugs imported from overseas and the multitude of drug sources in the country, Yang said.

"Overseas drugs keep flowing into the country by various illegal means while the production and sales of drugs are also rampant in the country," he said.

The number of drug users in the country keeps rising year on year and the types of drugs also multiplies, especially at some entertainment places in big and medium cities, said Yang.

Statistics from the Ministry of Public Security show that more than 1.05 million drug users were registered by law enforcement departments by the end of 2003.

More than 2,200 counties and municipalities have dealt with drug-related cases.

Robberies and thefts from drug problems are on the rise, constituting a threat to social security, the director noted.

Besides crackdown efforts, anti-drug departments will intensify partnerships with banks and investigate the economic results of drug-related crimes to fight against money laundering, Yang said.

Meantime, China will strengthen international co-operation to combat cross-border drug trafficking, Yang stressed.

Substantial achievements have been made in Yunnan Province, which is working with Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Viet Nam to curb trafficking, said Li Yunbai, vice-governor of the province.

Thanks to the concerted efforts, 13 overseas illegal drug-processing plants have been eradicated and 55 major overseas drug traffickers have been arrested since 1998.

Since Yunnan is close to the Golden Triangle one of the world's major sources of drugs located where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet it is of crucial importance for Yunnan police to intensify international co-operation projects, said Li.

(China Daily July 30, 2004)