960408

Heroin seized

in China: 15

arrested

BEIJING: Police broke up a drug ring in China's southern province of Guangdong and arrested 15 people while seizing 28 kg (62 lb) of heroin and two handguns, a state news agency said on Monday.

Provincial police, who had been monitoring the activities of the suspected drug ring since early February, began the March 29 raid by arresting three men in the city of Luoding and seizing 28 kg and a military pistol, the China News Service said.

The gang had been smuggling heroin from Burma, processing it in the city of Puning and then selling it to other areas, the agency said.

The operation was selling more than two kg (4.4 lb) of heroin per day, it said.

The seizures at Luoding led to the arrest of 12 more ring members in Puning and Shenzhen and the seizure of "a large amount of illicit cash and booty", it said.

The Public Security Ministry said it had seized 16.5 tonnes of heroin from 1991 to 1995.

Trafficking of 50 grams (1.75 ounces) or more of heroin is a capital offence in China, which executes hundreds of drug suspects each year.-Reuter