SHENZHEN Customs busted 192 drug trafficking cases in the past 12 months, a year-on-year increase of 40 percent, and ranked first in China’s customs system in terms of drug cases, local Chinese-language media reported yesterday.

Among the 1,317 kg of drugs, 379 kg were heroin and ice, Shenzhen Customs said in a release Sunday, on the eve of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking that fell on yesterday.

In the past 12 months, Shenzhen Customs allied with police on 11 anti-drug actions, intercepting 145 kilograms of narcotics that were intended to be sent overseas through mail services.

Shenzhen Customs worked with authorities in foreign countries to establish and develop a communication mechanism. In a joint action in March, Shenzhen Customs busted a cross-border sea freight drug trafficking case through cooperation with Dongguan, Hong Kong and Australia. Five suspects were arrested and 101.7 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized.

Shenzhen Customs intercepted two packages that were declared as food to be delivered to France and Britain last November. Two bags of white crystal particles, weighing 986.32 grams, were later identified as methamphetamine.

In the past 12 months, Shenzhen police have seized 9,357 kilograms of different types of drugs and drug making materials, uncovered 2,730 drug-related crimes and busted 243 rings, according to a meeting of Shenzhen police last week.

A total of 3,636 suspects were criminally detained and 2,723 were arrested. The city also gave 2.41 million yuan (US$352,406) in cash rewards to whistleblowers, police said.

(Han Ximin, Lei Kaibin)