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Police officers arrest a suspect at a logistics station in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, March 14, 2020. (Photo provided to Xinhua)
"These old folks, they are tough guys." Meet the "Old Men's Team Against Drugs!"
XI'AN, April 13 (Xinhua) -- At the break of dawn, a gray-haired Wei Bing receives a call from his colleague about finding drugs in a walnut parcel at a logistics station in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
"Everyone, attention please, get ready for the crackdown," said a decisive Wei.
Wei is an anti-drug police officer with a division of the logistics drug criminal investigation team under the Public Security Bureau (PSB) of Xi'an.
But there is something unique about the division: All the police officers are in their 50s and 60s.
"We have more than 10 members in the division, and all of us are aged," said Wei, 50. "I am actually the youngest one."
The average age of the division is about 55, and people usually call them the "Old Men's Team Against Drugs," he said.
Wei said that the age thing was not intentional and that he and his colleagues were randomly allocated into the division.
The division was established in July 2015 to manage the safety of the logistics industry in China.
In recent years, the industry has skyrocketed in China, but a comprehensive supervising system is still in a developing stage, and some drug dealers are increasingly using parcels to transport drugs, highlighting the importance of Wei's job.
During the coronavirus epidemic, the "Old Men's Team Against Drugs" intercepted 6,524 grams of heroin and more than 13 kg of methamphetamine, according to official figures.
More than 1 kg of methamphetamine is found in a walnut parcel at a logistics station in Xi'an, March 21, 2020. (Photo provided to Xinhua)
"NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN"
Wei started working for the division in 2015. Before that, he had served many years as an ordinary police officer with a local public security bureau, without much anti-drug experience.
"I started out by learning from my colleagues," he said. "After all, they say you are never too old to learn."
Some of Wei's colleagues were railway police officers, and some were professional anti-drug policemen.
"Some colleagues have many, many years of experience, and I learned a lot from them," he said.
The anti-drug job is a tricky one. Wei said that after confiscating the drugs, they try to find clues from the drug-containing parcels to hunt for the suspects. The job was especially tough during the epidemic when an increasing number of drug dealers resorted to parcels to transport drugs, as many Chinese cities imposed restrictions on population flow.
"During the epidemic, there were very few people on the streets, and the suspects could be on high alert for us," he said. "Besides, as many residential compounds had closed off, we had to show our police identities during the investigations to enter the compounds, which could alarm the suspects."
Wei said their workload increased greatly during the epidemic.
TOUGH FOLKS
Wei said their job is a tough one because most of the time, they have to work at night, when parcels typically arrive from key supervised areas such as southwest China's Yunnan Province, a major front in the country's battle against drug crimes, as it borders the Golden Triangle known for its rampant drug production and trafficking.
"I am always on the night shift; a time when most elderly people have gone to bed," he said.
Wei and his peers usually sift through suspicious parcels that may contain drugs in transportation vehicles, big and small.
"Some drug dealers are quite alert, and they try various ways to circumvent our inspection," Wei said. "We have to be extra careful."
One of Wei's colleagues, Wan Yuetian, had three organ transplants more than a decade ago. Wan will retire at the end of this year as his age requires, but he is still fighting at the frontline with Wei against drugs.
While he is tough on the drug dealers, Wei has a soft spot for his family.
At the beginning of this year, Wei cut short his vacation in his hometown in neighboring Gansu Province and joined in the anti-drug battle in Xi'an.
Before saying goodbye, his daughter, who had just entered college, cried. Wei held back his tears and patted her on the shoulder.
"I am fighting for the country; it is a great thing," he said.
"These old folks, they are tough guys," said Wang Xiaofeng, a PSB official. "After five years of experience, they have built a strong team that threatens the criminals. They are truly the embodiment of perseverance."
With a busy working schedule, Wei said he does not have much time for relaxation. But his colleague Wan Yuetian does find some time out of work for his hobbies typical of many senior citizens in China: painting and calligraphy.
"I have to keep fighting crime," Wei said. "If I can find one more parcel containing drugs, dozens of families could be saved. It is worth it." ■
