BEIJING: Six people have been detained on suspicion of producing and selling crystal methamphetamine in Shanghai, police said here the other day.
The case is the first of its kind this year, they said, adding the city is not known as a center for drug production.
Four members of an alleged gang were caught on June 19 following raids on two apartments in the Pudong New Area and Jiading District.
At the properties, police discovered more than 500 grams of crystal meth, 1 kilogram of part-processed drugs, 4.3kg of ephedrine — the key ingredient in making meth — and drug-related paraphernalia.
The alleged ringleaders were named as a 33-year-old man surnamed Xu and a 35-year-old woman surnamed Zhang.
Also held were a 29-year-old man and his 32-year-old wife, both surnamed Wang.
Over the following days, a 29-year-old man surnamed Shi and a 36-year-old man surnamed Huang were apprehended in connection with the case, police said.
Police were alerted to the activities of the alleged drug-makers by a 29-year-old woman surnamed Zhu and a 41-year-old man surnamed Wang, who were taken into custody at the end of last year on suspicion of selling crystal meth.
According to the police, the gang’s leaders said they bought the ephedrine online.
The sale of the drug in China is strictly controlled and all purchases of it should be reported to the authorities. An investigation is ongoing.
