On March 19, police officers from China and Laos captured five men as they tried to smuggle more than 500 kg of narcotics on the Mekong River.

That case not only marked the first time the countries had cooperated to combat drugs trafficking, it also laid the foundation for the ongoing crackdown, which also includes Myanmar and Thailand, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Yu Haibin, an officer with the ministry's narcotics department, took part in the investigation.