Myanmar and China stepping up efforts to take drug control measures Chinese heroin traffickers exposed and handed over to China

Yangon, 25 April

–  The Government is combating narcotic drugs as a national duty, especially

taking drug abuse control measures along the border. The Myanmar-China

information exchange programmd is achieving considerable success. On 5 April

2002, 354.15 kilograms of heroin were seized in Gwandaung Province, China. With

regard to that case, the officials of the Drug Control Commission of China came

to meet with leaders of Wa national race in Panghsan, Special Region-2, Shan

State (North). As the culprits who trafficked in heroin are in hiding in Wa

region, the officials discussed mutual cooperation in exposing and arresting

them. Wa national race leader U Pauk Yu Chan reported the matter to the

Government and agreed to the cooperation plan.

over to officials of China

The joint investigation of the Wa

national race group and the Chinese Drug Control Commission led to the arrest of

three culprits including one Chinese woman at the Lanchee Hotel in Panghsan on 5

April. On 8 April, two Chinese were captured dead in the jungle near Namlinson

Village, Panghsan. Eight culprits were captured alive. The main culprit called

Wan Kyu Kwan from Hong Kong was arrested at Panku Village, Panghsan, on 9 April.

The 12 culprits were handed over to the officials of China to be able to conduct

further investigation. Together with them, three handguns, eight cellular phones

used in China, three vehicles and 217 logs used in trafficking in heroin were

handed over.

drug traffickers

A delegation led by member of the Central Committee for Drug

Abuse Control Lt-Col San Pwint, a Wa national race delegation led by U Pauk Yu

Chan of Special Region-2 and a Chinese delegation led by Director-General of

Yunnan Province Drug Control Committee of the Chinese Drug Control Commission Mr

Chain Ho Shwin and Director of Beijing National Drug Control Commission Mr Tein

Min discussed cooperation in drug control at the Minzin Hotel in Panghsan from

10 to 11 am on 21 April. They exchanged information regarding the case.

They

discussed cooperation in arresting the Chinese culprits at large. In the

afternoon, they went to the house used by drug traffickers, and inspected logs

on which holes were drilled to carry heroin. They also inspected arms and

ammunition, vehicles, cellular phones and documents. The drug traffickers

carried heroin by putting it in the holes with three-inch diameter and

three-foot length drilled on the logs which were then mixed with other logs.

Afterwards, the delegations from the two countries left Panghsan for Hsonwo

Village by car. They studied progress in combing the areas in search of the

Chinese culprits by Wa national race group and village militia units. The

delegations from the two countries are still working together to arrest them.

In combating narcotic drugs, Myanmar and China signed an

agreement on drugs and control of precursor chemicals used in producing drugs in

January 2001. To exchange information across the border, border liaison offices

were opened in Chinshwehaw and Bhamo in April 2001. In August 2001, four nations

Myanmar, China, Thailand and Laos  issued the Beijing Declaration.

Chinese culprits at large

The exchange of information between Myanmar and China

resulted in the arrest of Tan Shauk Lin, a drug culprit from China, in Muse in

2001 and the man was handed over to China. In addition, Shan Chauk Mein, a

culprit mainly implicated in drug trafficking in China, was arrested in Muse.

Lyo Min, a drug culprit from China, was captured dead after exchange of fire in

January 2002. The officials of Myanmar and China are stepping up their efforts

to take drug control measures along the border.