Frontline stories

The event was part of the university's Times Forum, its largest and most influential student-organized lecture series.

Founded in 2003 by the Student Union, the forum has held more than 430 sessions, featuring leaders from academia, business, government, culture, and sports.

This latest session invited three border officers — Zheng Zhaorui, Li Zhiwen, and Hu Di — who shared stories from the frontlines of drug enforcement along China's border with Myanmar, one of the world's key drug trafficking routes.

Their presence brought vivid, firsthand insight into the realities of border security and anti-narcotics work.

"Usually, I learn about police work from social media or TV dramas," said Fang Jingrui, a 22-year-old PhD student. "But hearing from real officers was far more powerful."

Fang was particularly impressed by the patience and precision behind each case.

"On screen, police work looks glamorous and fast-paced," he said. "In reality, it's a painstaking process — connecting tiny details like names, habits, and birth dates to catch suspects."

He Silei, another senior, noted that modern drug trafficking is also a battle of wits.