Anti-Drug Trafficking: Police officers in SW China's border region devoted to detecting illegal drugs

These police officers scrutinized a full truckload of onions before they discovered something unusual inside the vegetables – heroin.

More than 22 kilograms of the drug were hidden inside some 2,000 onions.

SHI JIANTAO Police Officer, Mangyan Border Checkpoint Baoshan Border Management Detachment, Yunnan Province "Our eyes were extremely irritated. When we unloaded all the goods, we found those problematic onions were first cut open and then glued back together."

This happened in February at the Mangyan checkpoint in southwest China's Baoshan City, about 350 kilometers from the so-called "Golden Triangle" region, notorious for its opium production and trafficking.

Since its establishment in 2009, the checkpoint has detected and seized over four tons of various illicit drugs.

LIU BEI Police Officer, Mangyan Border Checkpoint Baoshan Border Management Detachment, Yunnan Province "We've detected more than 400 means of concealing drugs. What are displayed here are just some of them. As you can see, the drugs can be put inside a screw, eggs and even walnuts."

It's a challenging mission. Police officers encounter an average of 7,000 vehicles and 14,000 people every day.

"How much is the freight?"

"6,000 yuan in total."

"Now I’ll check the chassis of your truck."

Officers say it's sometimes a test of physical strength with traffickers, but more often a battle of wits and courage.

Shi Jiantao recalls one experience when his unit had to hunt down and detain an escaping criminal.

SHI JIANTAO Police Officer, Mangyan Border Checkpoint Baoshan Border Management Detachment, Yunnan Province "When we held him down to the ground and checked his body, we found he was holding a gun with him."

Then there are times that test officers' sense of humanity.

HU YANG Police Officer, Mangyan Border Checkpoint Baoshan Border Management Detachment, Yunnan Province "At a time when I controlled a suspect, a little girl came over and held my legs while crying, asking me to free her mother. I had mixed feelings at that moment. But I told myself that nothing can be an excuse to commit a crime."

The police say despite the challenges, they will continue to work hard with a spirit of utter devotion and take advantage of modern technologies to facilitate the investigation work, so that they can make greater achievements. YJH, CGTN, Baoshan, Yunnan Province.