Pakistan and China to combat cross border crimes

Pakistan and China have established a strong working mechanism of bilateral co-operation to combat drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes. According to China National Narcotics Control Commission, the two countrie maintained close contacts at official level to review the drug control arrangements.
The measures taken recently proved effective to check illegal drug trade through land, air and sea routes. The relevant agencies of the two countries are working on regular basis to keep strict check on the source of drug smuggling.
The two sides will continue supporting each other through exchange of information and tightening law-enforcing measures.
In this connection, it was agreed to step up their efforts to implement the memorandum of understanding signed in 1996. The sources told APP that China has also reinforced anti-drug information exchange and law enforcement co-operation with other related countries including Afghanistan, so as to strike international drug-related crimes.
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 42.7 hectares of opium poppy, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
Meanwhile, China's legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) will consider the drafts of a new anti-drug law during a six-day legislative session, which will begin on August 22.
The anti-drug law is aimed at curbing drug-related crimes and reducing the growing number of drug users. China has toughened its anti-drug stance in recent years and statistics from the Supreme People's Court show that Chinese courts handled 47,232 drug crime cases from January 2005 to May 2006.
Altogether, 53,205 defendants were given prison sentences in that period, with 22,371 convicts handed tough penalties including life imprisonment or even the death penalty, the statistics showed.
In June, police officials said armed drug smuggling gangs had emerged in China and were trying to create a sophisticated network to sell drugs such as heroine and "ice".