China, US and Thailand seize record meth haul near disputed South China Sea reef
Raid nets nearly 5,000kg of methamphetamine, marking Asia-Pacific’s biggest maritime drug bust in years
China, working with the United States and Thailand, has seized a record haul of illegal drugs near a disputed South China Sea reef, state media said on Friday.
The Chinese anti-drug agency and the China Coast Guard, acting on a tip-off from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Royal Thai Police, intercepted the vessel Ji Sheng around 130 nautical miles (240km) southwest of Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China, People’s Daily reported.
The operation took place early in the morning on February 24 and resulted in the seizure of 4,973.4kg (10,964 pounds) of methamphetamine and the arrest of seven suspects, though the information has just been disclosed.
This case marks the largest single maritime drug seizure in the Asia-Pacific region in recent years, the report said.
Representatives from the Narcotics Control Bureau of China’s Ministry of Public Security, the Royal Thai Police Narcotics Suppression Bureau and the US DEA recently met in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, to discuss the latest developments in the case, the report added.
“The three sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation and deepen efforts to dismantle the networks of drug trafficking syndicates operating behind the scenes,” it said.