Top Chinese police drugs buster ‘dies from overwork’
Gan Kewei, 36, loved his job and worked day and night on some of the mainland’s largest drug hauls
A veteran anti-narcotics officer in southwest China died suddenly after working overtime for many days without a break, according to Chinese media reports.
Gan Kewei, 36, a police officer in Nanning, Guangxi province, died of a brain haemorrhage 16 days after being admitted to hospital, the police-themed public WeChat account Changan-j reported.
He was taken to hospital following a fall at home after he returned from a business trip to Jiangxi to apprehend suspects, the report said.
His colleagues said Gan turned down his boss’s suggestion to take a rest after the trip and returned to work for extended hours for days on end.
Gan had received many awards for his contributions to cracking big drugs cases, according to the report.
He was respected by his colleagues for his ability to sniff out clues in crimes and for his familiarity with drug rings’ operations.
He was said to have deep knowledge of key players in the drug syndicates, of traffickers’ lingo, prices of the different drugs and how they were consumed. He also worked undercover in a number of cases, the report said.
His colleagues thought highly of him and his work ethic. He reportedly sustained injuries in the past when he was dragged 100 metres while hanging on to a car whose driver was trying to evade police.
Last year Gan was transferred to the Ministry of Public Security for half a year. He worked in the ministry’s anti-narcotics intelligence centre and was involved in four major investigations. These resulted in four underground drug manufacturers being raided and the seizure of a total of two tonnes of various drugs.
Gan once told his colleagues that he loved his job and refused job offers from internet companies that valued his big data analytical skills.