War on drugs hits screens

The drug-making hub in Lufeng was affected by poverty for a long time, and the region was also infamous for producing counterfeit currency.

"The locals wanted to get out of poverty ... but police officers had to break up their entire network of relationships," says Fu. "Those complex ties form the most touching parts of the series."

It took more than two years for the police to prepare for the strike on Boshe, but the production team of the drama needed even longer to hone the script.

Although the first draft of the story was ready shortly after the raids happened, it was revised many times until iQiyi took over the project in 2017.

Speaking about how the authorities helped the makers of the series, Dai Ying, the producer, says: "Fortunately, we were allowed to see documents of the case and interviewed many police officers who participated in the campaign."

As for the realism in the portrayal of the story, Dai says the main goal of the crew was to bring the real essence of the story to the screen by inviting around 1,500 police officers and SWAT members to join the shoot, with their helicopters, armored cars and other equipment.

In the opening scene of the pilot episode, Li Fei, a narcotics agent, who is played by young-generation idol Huang Jingyu, leads a team to capture a drug dealer in a village in a fictional city in Guangdong.

However, he only ends up exposing the tip of the iceberg, as his raid sets off a long battle against the gang, which is protected by patriarchs of the local community.

Li Fei's role may be a fictional one, but he represents many brave behind-the-scene officers in the campaign.