China News Service, Taizhou, June 28 (Reporter Fan Yubin Correspondent Ma Shilong Zhang Xiaonan) The reporter learned on the 28th that the "6.01 special drug smuggling on the sea" investigation by the Zhejiang Maritime Police Bureau, which lasted for two years, was pursued, reviewed and prosecuted. The Intermediate People's Court pronounced that all 18 criminal suspects were punished by law.
Drugs involved. Photo courtesy of Taizhou Maritime Police
On June 4, 2018, Zhejiang Maritime Police discovered a cargo ship on the sea outside the Yangtze River estuary that did not fly the national flag according to regulations, and the ship number had obvious alteration marks and suspicious behavior. Marine police law enforcement officers searched the ship immediately after requesting instructions from their superiors, but the ship did not mean to stop. Instead, it accelerated the voyage and attempted to detour. The two Coast Guard ships approached quickly, pinched left and right, forcibly squeezed against the suspect ship at high speed, and successfully boarded, controlling 6 crew members and the key parts of the cabin and engine room in one fell swoop.
"I just smelled a pungent smell of gasoline as soon as I got on board," the law enforcement officer recalled. "The cargo ships use diesel fuel. Why is there such a heavy smell of gasoline? We feel there is a problem with this ship." Soon, Law enforcement personnel found more than 100 boxes of intact goods and 4 barrels of gasoline next to them during the inspection.
Open court hearings. Photo courtesy of Taizhou Maritime Police
When asked what cargo was transported on board and what the gasoline was used for, the crew looked nervous, and I could not answer. Subsequently, the law enforcement officers asked the crew to open the packing box for inspection and saw the white powder in the box.
"The moment I opened the box, I immediately realized that it was a drug." The law enforcement officer said, "Later, after being confessed by the criminal suspect, when they were discovered by them, they were discussing and trying to burn these drugs with gasoline."
On June 5, the Zhejiang Maritime Police took the suspect ship and six suspects back to the dock for interrogation, and tested and identified the suspected drugs.
After identification, a total of 164 boxes with a weight of about 1.5 tons are contained. The white powdery articles inside are all methamphetamine, commonly known as "meth". Due to the huge number of drugs involved, it was registered as a "6.01 drug smuggling case on the sea".
It is reported that the 6.01 smuggling of drugs on the sea broke the record of the amount of drugs smuggled at sea since the founding of New China. The case spanned a long time, involved a large number of people, and spanned a wide area. In the past two years, maritime police law enforcement officers traveled from Fujian to Sichuan, Guangdong to Shandong, and traveled through multiple provinces to find clues and collect evidence. The remaining 12 fugitives were arrested and brought to justice. (Finish)