China says the area used to grow poppies in northern Burma increased by 41 % in 2011, according to satellite monitoring. They expanded from 31,700 hectares in 2011 to around 44,866 hectares this year, Xinhua said.
China said has also seen more synthetic drugs smuggled from Burma. US$ 47.62 million has been spent to help farmers in Burma and Laos to replace poppies with other crops, the official said.
However, difficulties remain in preventing cross-border drug smuggling, largely due to differences between the legal systems of China and neighboring countries, the official said. For instance, he said problems may occur in attempting to extradite suspects who might face capital punishment in China from countries that do not impose the death penalty, the official said, adding that legal differences can also make evidence exchanges more difficult.