The top narcotics officer in Guangdong province has said the recent progress in busting drug gangs in southern China is down to greater international cooperation.

"A number of cross-border trafficking channels and distribution centers have been broken up since we deepened cooperation with overseas counterparts this year," said Zhai Kaixia, head of drug enforcement for the Guangdong Public Security Department.

Several gangs have been broken up, dealing a heavy blow to the region's illegal narcotics industry, he said in Guangzhou on Tuesday.

Guangdong has been the focus of China's anti-drug campaign for decades. In addition to working with authorities in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, the southern province has expanded cooperation with police in Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand.

The move has seen significant results, Zhai said. "There has been a large drop in drug production dens, and Guangdong is slowly shedding its status as a major drug distribution hub."

Police seized more than 10.4 metric tons of narcotics in the first 10 months of this year and detained more than 16,000 suspects, he said.

However, Zhai said the fight against drugs remains a tough task, as traffickers continue to try to build Guangdong and neighboring Hong Kong and Macao in a major distribution center.

He said international cooperation will be expanded further and hinted that more targeted campaigns could be launched in the following months.