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China, US smash major international drug cartel
Beijing, May 19: In the first ever Sino-US joint anti-drug operation spread over the two countries, a major international drug-trafficking gang operating in China and North America has been smashed.
Beijing, May 19: In the first ever Sino-US joint anti-drug operation spread over the two countries, a major international drug-trafficking gang operating in China and North America has been smashed.
Over 20 suspects were arrested and 36 kg heroin seized in last Friday's joint raid which took place in south China's Guangdong and southwest China's Yunnan provinces, Hong Kong and the US, 'China daily' reported today.
An unknown sum of money and vehicles were also seized by police in the swoop in east China's Fujian province, the report said quoting Fujian public security bureau.
The paper also quoted a US-based Chinese language newspaper 'China press' as saying new york prosecutors have already filed a lawsuit against 25 suspects in the gang headed by one Kin Cheung Wong, including five who are still at large.
They have been indicted on six charges including drug-trafficking and money laundering.
The gang, known as the '125 organisation' which has members in New York, North Carolina and Florida in the US, Canada, the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, has been suspected of smuggling heroin worth more than 100 million US Dollars by sea from Fujian province since 2000.
New York prosecutors believe the gang distributed the drug, smuggled into china from its border with Myanmar, to the US and Canada and the money earned from the crimes was sent back to China after illegal money laundering.
If proved guilty, the suspects can receive at least 10 years in prison for drug-trafficking and a minimum of 20 years imprisonment for money laundering.
Bureau Report
An unknown sum of money and vehicles were also seized by police in the swoop in east China's Fujian province, the report said quoting Fujian public security bureau.
The paper also quoted a US-based Chinese language newspaper 'China press' as saying new york prosecutors have already filed a lawsuit against 25 suspects in the gang headed by one Kin Cheung Wong, including five who are still at large.
They have been indicted on six charges including drug-trafficking and money laundering.
The gang, known as the '125 organisation' which has members in New York, North Carolina and Florida in the US, Canada, the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, has been suspected of smuggling heroin worth more than 100 million US Dollars by sea from Fujian province since 2000.
New York prosecutors believe the gang distributed the drug, smuggled into china from its border with Myanmar, to the US and Canada and the money earned from the crimes was sent back to China after illegal money laundering.
If proved guilty, the suspects can receive at least 10 years in prison for drug-trafficking and a minimum of 20 years imprisonment for money laundering.
Bureau Report