Beijing police report using spy plane to look for illegal opium growers
- Source: Global Times
- [02:13 June 04 2010]
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By Huang Shaojie
Beijing's first unmanned opium reconnaissance plane was unveiled in Pinggu district Thursday during the launch of a month-long aerial survey program that aims to track down opium plantations throughout the city's suburban areas.
The unmanned "Skycam" light surveillance plane can fly as high as 6,000 meters and is mounted with a camera capable of taking high-resolution photographs sensitive enough to detect blooming opium poppies on plots of land as small as five square meters, according to Gao Ming, operator and manufacturer of "Skycam."
The plane has performed several test flights during May. "We can confirm the areas surveyed to be free of opium cultivation," Gao told the Global Times.
"Skycam" would remain in operation until July 10.
"If someone is growing opium in the mountains, this plane will see it," narcotics control officer Ma Guoyun said.
This is the first time unmanned aircraft have been used in drug surveillance cam-paigns.
Once a "Skycam" spots a suspicious area, a helicopter carrying drug experts will be sent in to investigate the area.
Beijing narcotics squad chief Zhao Wenzhong said that "Skycams" would scan the seven counties that make up the outskirts of Beijing and neighboring townships in Hebei Province, like Chengde and Huailai.
"Drug campaigns between January and April found that opium cultivation in Hebei had increased by 13.4 percent since last year," Zhao said.
He said about 2,100 drug-related arrests had been made in Beijing between January and April, a 1.3 percent rise since last year. Some 57 kilograms of narcotics and hallucinogens had been confiscated, a 65 percent decrease since last year.
"We've almost completely cleaned away drug use in bars and clubs," vice mayor Liu Jingming told reporters Thursday. But some who frequent nightclubs disputed this sentiment.
"At some places you pay more for water than for alcohol because ecstasy users drink a lot of water after taking it," one woman told the Global Times.
One man even told the Global Times where it was possible buy marijuana from dealers.
