NIA targets traffickers to defeat drug lords

There are no natural barriers on the 4,000-kilometer border, and the wooded mountains provide natural cover for the traffickers.

"Drug trafficking is a very profitable business. Once the drugs cross the border, the price rockets, and if they flow into the market at major cities, you can hardly imagine the price," An said.

"But you can get a sense of the profits from the bonus Liu would have received－more than 1.5 million yuan ($230,000)."

The case came to light in early 2019 when the team learned that foreign drug lords would send a huge amount of meth to cities in Hunan and Hubei provinces, and that the first handover would take place in the area around Baoshan.

Having been born and raised in a small village in Baoshan, An's local knowledge made him the perfect candidate to lead the task force.

However, he knew the case would not be easy and he would have to sacrifice something. As usual, that "something" would be time with his family.

"Dangerous situations, such as facing a firefight, rarely happen because China has such strict regulations on gun control, but it is still hard to convince my wife that I will be all right, especially as I usually only manage to return home once a month," he said.

An is the father of two boys, but most of the time, his family responsibilities fall on his wife's shoulders.

"It's not just me－most of our officers have the same experience of caring for our families via video calls. We know it's not fair to them, but if you saw or felt the same things we did, you would realize that somebody needs to step up and do something," he said.