Drug related crime numbers down, but trends emerge

Procuratorates across China approved the arrest of 139,084 suspects and prosecuted 164,494 people for drug-related crimes between the start of 2018 and May 2019, with both numbers decreasing year-on-year, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said at a news conference on Tuesday, one day ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which falls on June 26 every year.

As introduced by Chen Guoqing, deputy procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, although the numbers decreased, drug-related crimes present some trends in recent cases.

Drug crimes by juveniles are increasing in some places. A large number of drug dealers no longer carry drugs with them, but use the internet to purchase, sell or mail drugs with false identification information, and they also use third-party payment platforms to transfer the illicit money, Chen said.

Prosecutors nationwide will continue to strengthen efforts to crack down on drug-related crimes and improve the level of legal supervision of the crimes, Chen said.