Drug crimes, busts up over 20% since 2013, officials say

Police nationwide are stepping up efforts to curb the increasing number of drug-related crimes, the Ministry of Public Security said.

Anti-narcotics officers uncovered 151,000 drug-related crimes and arrested 168,000 suspects across the country last year, up more than 20 percent year-on-year, according to the ministry.

The officers seized 8.55 metric tons of heroin and 9.7 tons of ketamine - an increase of 17.4 percent for heroin and more than double the amount for ketamine year-on-year. They also confiscated 19.5 tons of "ice", or crystal methamphetamine, an increase of 20.8 percent year-on-year.