New report shows decline in illegal drug trade

Police in Yulin city of South China's Guangxi?Zhuang autonomous region?busted a drug production and sales ring, with 1078.4g of Ketamine seized, Nov 11, 2015.[Photo/CFP]

People under the age of 35 accounted for 61.3 percent of the total 194,000 suspects of illegal drug trade last year, an annual report released by the Public Security Ministry shows.

Around 79 percent of the total number of suspects is from rural areas and without fixed occupation. Public servants, workers, students, self-employed and office workers were also found taking part in illegal drug trade last year, the report said.

The number of registered illegal drug users in China dropped by 20 percent to 2.3 million last year, according to the report.

China had 2.95 million registered drug users by the end of 2014 and the number fell to 2.35 million due to a considerable number of recovered drug users.

"A total number of 1.14 million recovered drug users who went three consecutive years without illicit substances have been removed from the registration list last year," said Liu Yuejin, the deputy head of China National Narcotics Control Commission.

Liu added that around 530,000 new illegal drug users were registered last year.

According to the report, in 2015, there are 165,000 cases relating to drug crimes with 194,000 suspects captured and 102.5 tons of drugs seized.