China cracked a total of 546,900 drug-related criminal cases in five years from 1998 to 2003, seizing 51.03 tons of heroin and uprooted 427 hectares of opium poppy, according to the Ministry of Public Security Sunday.

Statistics available show that 235,600 crime suspects were arrested for producing, trafficking and selling drugs over the past five year period, and 52.43 tons of "ice", or methamphetamine hydrochloride, 14.73 tons of opium and 1,412.5 tons of chemicals that could be used to make drugs were confiscated in the same period.

A source with the ministry owned the achievements to the strike-hard policies of China's narcotics control units in combating drug-related crimes and highly-effective measures and substantial efforts the related units and localities across China have made inthe war on the drug-related criminal cases.

The building of drug-free villages and communities, as well as active involvement in the international narcotics control efforts,acknowledged the source, were all contributed to the victory over drug-related crimes in the country.

Despite the achievements, Zhou Yongkang, head of the National Narcotics Control Commission, on Sunday called for governments and narcotics control departments at all levels to attach still greater importance to the work of narcotics control.

Efforts are urgently required to curb production and sales of drugs and stem the increase in the number of drug addicts to reduce the harmful effects of drugs, Zhou told a national meeting on drug control, which was being held in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan province.

Zhou, a state councilor as well as a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, noted that situation remain stark though remarkable success had been attained in China's work to combat drug-related crimes.

"A harsh blow has to be dealt to drug-related criminal cases incompliance with law, and greater efforts must be made to spread knowledge on drugs among the general public so as to improve their awareness of drug control," he underscored.

China now boasts an anti-drug police force of about 17,000 members, and its central government has input more than 600 million yuan (72.55 million US dollars) for drug control efforts over the past five years.

Source: Xinhua