On the morning of June 25, National Immigration Administration (NIA) held a press conference on border anti-narcotics law enforcement achievements made by immigration administration authorities nationwide in the first half of 2021. Five officers representing award-winning frontier inspection groups and individuals from Yunnan and Guangxi provinces shared with reporters their experiences and thoughts on safeguarding the country's border, fighting cross-border drug crimes and strengthening COVID-19 prevention at the border.

"Who will guard the border if nobody stands out to do it?" said Zheng Zhaorui, an officer from the Mukang Frontier Inspection Station of the Yunnan Dehong Border Administration Detachment. The Mukang Frontier Inspection Station has been awarded the "Outstanding Anti-narcotics Station" by the State Council and the Central Military Commission, and is known as the "Unassailable Station on Mount Yunling" on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. In the 18 years since he joined border anti-narcotics law enforcement, Zheng has taken part in operations that have cracked more than 850 drug cases, seized over 500 kilograms of drugs, and arrested 457 drug dealers, winning him the reputation as "blade of the anti-narcotics fight" during his previous service in the public security border force.

Zheng became a professional policeman when the public security border force was merged into the immigration administration system in 2018. He continues to make new contributions to serve the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the people through applying his professional skill to fight against narcotics. "What are we fighting for in anti-narcotics law enforcement? For a narcotics-free world where safety and peace will prevail. I sincerely hope that I will never win another medal for anti-narcotics operations because my aspiration for a narcotics-free world will realize if there is no drug-trafficking or drug using in the border areas."

"I feel proud whenever a drug case is cracked. I'm relieved that people will thus suffer less from drugs, even if we have to work harder or live in the shadow," said Officer Yun, a frontline investigator from the Yunnan General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection which is mainly responsible for fighting drug-related crimes and solving drug cases. Dealing with the most cunning drug dealers on the most dangerous frontline is a vivid portrayal of anti-drug operations performed by immigration administration officers in the border areas.

In years of anti-narcotics law enforcement, Officer Yun experienced dangerous freeway chases, and even witnessed his fellow officers killed in the line of duty. Always living the oath of "never stop anti-drug operations until all drug trafficking cases are cracked", he has been a part of the efforts for cracking 756 drug cases, arresting 851 criminal suspects, and seizing 1.86 tons of various narcotics. He was again awarded the highest Order of Merit not long ago.

"I will devote all my loyalty to the CPC into the day-to-day anti-drug work at the border for a drug-free and safe place," said Han Bin, an officer from the Gongxin Border Police Station of the Yunnan Pu'er Border Administration Detachment. In the border anti-narcotics law enforcement, officers mainly fight drug crimes in their jurisdiction in the following ways: patrol the border and investigate and arrest criminals; raise awareness among the people and encourage them to take part in the fight against narcotics; and regularly visit former drug addicts for an update, educate and monitor drug addicts, and tackle rural drug problems, etc.

In his 15 years as an officer, Han Bin has taken part in operations that accumulatively cracked 37 drug cases, arrested 57 criminal suspects, seized 201 kilograms of drugs, and destroyed 19 drug production and trafficking dens. In a village under the jurisdiction of Gongxin Border Police Station, nearly half of the over 100 residents in the village were drug users. Han Bin and his fellow officers put awareness-raising on the top of the agenda to inform people of the dangers of drugs, so that they would resist drug use and better identify, refuse and stay away from drugs. After over a year of their hard work, this village has realized the goal of zero growth in drug addicts. Now the village has become a well-known anti-drug demonstration village with no drug use or drug trafficking cases for three consecutive years.

"Women are also capable of anti-narcotics law enforcement, just as good as men. As a long-term mission, anti-drug at the border is a huge responsibility. We the younger generation of immigration officers are confident and determined to carry forward the career of our predecessors in anti-narcotics law enforcement and undertake the glorious mission of keeping the border safe from narcotics," said Zhang Di, a female officer who was born in the 2000s and joined border anti-narcotics law enforcement in 2017 at the Yiwu Frontier Inspection Station of Yunnan Xishuangbanna Border Administration Detachment.

Her daily work is mainly to conduct 24-hour two-way inspections of people, vehicles and goods entering and leaving the border areas. Every time she goes to work, she needs to wear a body armor and a helmet as heavy as about 7.5 kilograms regardless of how hot, cold, windy or rainy it is. On average, she checks over 800 vehicles and cross checks more than 2,000 pieces of information every day, trying to find traces of criminality of drug dealers. Over the previous four years since she started to work as an officer, she has, together with her fellow officers, cracked more than 20 drug trafficking cases and seized more than 80 kilograms of various drugs. She has proved with practical actions that a young female of the post-00’s generation like her can also make a difference in anti-narcotics law enforcement.

"We immigration officers have our own advantages and rich experience in combating cross-border drug crimes," said Huang Ri, deputy director of the Enforcement Investigations Team at the Chongzuo Border Administration Detachment, Guangxi General Station of Immigration Inspection. He has been a frontline officer engaged in border anti-narcotics law enforcement for 17 years.

Over the past years, he joined numerous operations that have cracked more than 250 drug cases, busted 25 transnational drug trafficking gangs, arrested more than 360 drug-related criminal suspects, and seized over 300 kilograms of drugs. His unit was commended by the National Narcotics Control Commission as the "National Outstanding Team in Anti-Narcotics Law Enforcement" in 2020. "Our country will be safer and our people will be better protected and less harmed every time we capture one more drug dealer and bust one more gang at the border. Following important instructions of the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping, we will continue to crack down on narcotics with zero tolerance. Being always on the alert, we will guard the southern borders for the CPC and the people and make unswerving efforts to win the war against narcotics."

Notice: The English version is only for reference. To learn more, please refer to the authoritative Chinese version.