Record seizure in the South China Sea: China Coast Guard confiscates 11.6 tonnes of drugs in 17 months
4.973 tonnes of methamphetamine in a single case — a record for the Asia‑Pacific region, 735 kg of cannabis, water cannons against smugglers, cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration. China Coast Guard reports eight major operations.
As reported by CCTV+, the China Coast Guard (CCG) has uncovered eight major maritime drug trafficking cases and seized 11.6 tonnes of narcotics since January 2025, the CCG said on Friday, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. These operations have significantly disrupted drug trafficking networks and contributed to maintaining security.
Among these cases is a major operation on 24 February 2025. Acting on intelligence provided by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the China Coast Guard intercepted the drug smuggling vessel "Jisheng" in the South China Sea, arresting seven suspects and seizing 4.973 tonnes of methamphetamine. The case set a record as the largest single‑case maritime drug seizure in the Asia‑Pacific region in recent years.
Another operation took place on 26 April 2026 in the South China Sea. When the suspected smuggling vessel ignored repeated warnings and refused to stop, the China Coast Guard used water cannons to bring it under control. After boarding the vessel, law enforcement officers quickly secured the engine room and other key areas, arrested five suspects and confiscated 43 packets of cannabis weighing a total of 735.28 kilograms.
In recent years, the China Coast Guard has conducted a series of targeted anti‑drug operations, focusing on key waters and shipping routes prone to drug trafficking. Using an integrated maritime and aerial surveillance and control system, the China Coast Guard maintains a tough stance against drug‑related maritime crimes.
The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed on 26 June. The China Coast Guard is a state‑run paramilitary force under the Chinese Armed Police, responsible for maritime patrol, fisheries protection and anti‑smuggling operations. Cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration in the 2025 case shows that the fight against drugs is a shared international challenge. 4.973 tonnes of methamphetamine is not just a number — it is tens of millions of potential deaths prevented by law enforcement. Water cannons and on‑site searches are methods used when words no longer work.
11.6 tonnes of drugs in 17 months is not just a statistic of successful operations. It is lives saved, networks destroyed, families that did not lose their children. 4.973 tonnes of methamphetamine — a record that speaks to the scale of the threat, but also to the resolve to fight it. Cooperation with US colleagues in one case, water cannons against smugglers in another — all show that drug trafficking knows no borders, but neither does the fight against it. The China Coast Guard acts tough because the cost of failure is human lives. And while drug cartels seek new routes, law enforcement continues its work. At sea, in the air, on land — wherever drugs try to find their way to the consumer.
