Gangsters muscling their way into drugs

Drug-related crimes are growing at an alarming rate and are increasingly characterized by gangs and violence, a senior official of the top court said yesterday.

"A majority of drug crimes are now linked to gangs," Zhang Jun, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), told a press conference yesterday.

Last year, courts dealt with nearly 44,000 drugs cases, up by a third year on year. More than 50,000 criminals were sentenced, of whom a third received sentences ranging from five years in prison to capital punishment.