HENAN

Chinese customs seize more than 600 live ants

Customs officials in Zhengzhou, Henan province, recently seized more than 600 live ants from a parcel shipped from Turkey. The ants were packed in eight test tubes, each containing one queen and numerous other ants. The recipient said the ants were going to be kept as pets. According to preliminary identification, the ant colonies belong to the Camponotus genus. Such species are large with strong reproductive ability and high adaptability, posing a threat to the ecological balance. Live insects are banned from entering China, and local customs will destroy the ants in accordance with the law.

YUNNAN

Police net 3 suspects, nearly 50 kg of meth

Police in Yunnan province cracked a drug trafficking case, capturing three suspects and seizing 49.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, local authorities said. Local prosecutors have approved the formal arrests of the suspects. On Sept 24, police learned that a man surnamed Xu and two accomplices were fleeing the city of Jinghong in two cars after obtaining the drugs. The police nabbed the three in the outskirts of the city. An interrogation revealed that the suspects smuggled the drugs into China through a foreign dealer and were captured while still calculating the value of the methamphetamine. Further investigation is underway.

Xinhua