LI DAIMO, a singer made famous by popular singing talent show “The Voice of China,” was detained in Beijing for drug use, police confirmed Tuesday.

    Li was found taking drugs with other five suspects at his temporary home in Sanlitun, Chaoyang District. Police also detained two other suspects at a hotel in Fengtai District.

    Urine samples of the eight suspects all tested positive for amphetamines. They admitted to illegal drug use, according to Beijing police.

    The case is under further investigation.

    Li, 25, from Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, shot to fame when the first season of “The Voice of China” aired on Zhejiang Satellite TV in July 2012.

    Li released two albums after his success on “The Voice of China” and pocketed fame with music concerts around the country.

    The record company that Li belongs to issued a statement Tuesday night following Li’s detention, saying that they “deeply regret” Li’s behavior. The company apologized to Li’s fans and the public on his behalf in the statement.

    Li could face a maximum of 15 days in detention for his drug use, according to Chinese law on public security administration. The law states that taking drugs is illegal but doesn’t constitute a crime. However, a clause in the Chinese criminal law states that people who muster group drug taking can be sentenced to a maximum of three years in jail, detention or confinement, plus fines.

    The exposure of the scandal made a splash around Chinese social media, triggering a flurry of scathing comments on Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

    A veteran star agent said Li “was ruining his career in the very time of its development” because such negative news can bring paralyzing impact to a person’s image.

    Li’s fall from grace is just another in China’s show biz that has been marred by a host of drug-taking scandals in recent years.

    In April 2011, Hong Kong actor Max Mok was arrested in Beijing for taking drugs, only three months after the arrest of Chinese rock singer Xie Tianxiao for drug use. The following year, Chinese actor Zhang Mo, son of famous actor Zhang Guoli, was found using drugs in his villa.

    An anonymous general manager of a Chinese culture communication company said that some celebrities take drugs to stave off their psychological woes.

    “The self-worth of many stars in show biz hinges on applause from the public, and they suffer from spiritual emptiness in their lives from time to time,” said the manager.

    For some, taking drugs is regarded as an “avant-garde” lifestyle and a symbol of high status in the entertainment circle, he added.(SD-Agencies)