Victim: `Drugs will trap you forever' ( 2003-06-26 08:19) (China Daily)
"Never even think of trying it just once, otherwise you will be trapped
forever by its evil influence,'' said a 30-year-old drug addict surnamed Liu,
when recalling his nightmare-like experience of taking heroin at a
drug-rehabitation centre in Beijing. Liu made his decision to break the habit
after living in a drug hell for several years, during which his heartbroken
father was killed in a traffic accident. Like Liu, the health of tens of
thousands of drug addicts has been destroyed due to the spread of drugs in
recent years. What is worse is that drug addiction also breeds crime, said drug
control experts. Statistics form the Ministry of Public Security indicated
that at least 25,000 people had died of drug abuse in recent years. In some
provinces and regions more than 30 per cent of robberies and burglaries were
committed by drug addicts. To contain the rapid expansion of drug
trafficking, fight against drug-related crimes and help addicts kick the habit,
large numbers of anti-drug police and frontier guards have dedicated all their
strength, with some even contributing their lives. In Southwest China's
Yunnan Province, which neighbours the notorious Golden Triangle of Myanmar,
Thailand and Laos, frontier police have cracked down on 9,748 drug trafficking
cases since 1993 and seized 12,434 suspects and confiscated 31.8 tons of
drugs. In order to safeguard the local residents, Yin Mingzhi, an ordinary
soldier with Zhangfeng frontier inspection station in Dehong Dai and Jingpo
Autonomous Prefecture, lost his life while hunting down drug
traffickers. After Yin's death at the young age of 18, his younger sister Yin
Mingyan followed his footsteps and became an anti-drug soldier. On June 1,
frontier police at the Mukang inspection station stopped two nervous looking
passengers, reported the People's Daily. After interrogation and inspection,
the police found 200 grams of fine heroin on the women. During 24 gun fights
with drug traffickers in recent years, five frontier soldiers and officers in
Yunnan died and 26 were injured, statistics showed. "Don't call them
anti-drug heroes, they are just doing their job,'' said Dong Sheng, deputy
director-general of Yunnan Provincial Narcotics Control
Committee.
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