Xinjiang police arrest seven for drug dealing

Police from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region uncovered a drug ring and apprehended seven suspects, local authorities said on Wednesday.

According to the regional public security department, a total of 45 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine or "ice", and about 300,000 yuan ($50,000) were seized.

Police from Urumqi, capital city of Xinjiang, caught three suspects based on tip-offs in the city in early December. Later, they traveled to Sichuan Province and apprehended another four suspects with the help of local police, the department said.

This is the biggest quantity of synthetic drugs Xinjiang has seized in a single case, said a police officer from the department.

China has launched a nationwide campaign to "ban drugs in hundreds of cities" since October. Statistics showed that Xinjiang has uncovered 604 drug-related crimes, arrested 663 suspects and captured more than 323 kilograms of drugs so far.

Also on Wednesday, a court in central China's Hunan Province sentenced five people to death and two others to death with a reprieve on charges of drug trafficking.

Another 14 suspects received sentences ranging from one year and 10 months in prison to life imprisonment. The case involved more than 222 kilograms of "magu" pills, a stimulant composed of methamphetamine and caffeine, the court said.