Air flights from drug source countries from now on will run a complete checking procedure once the planes land at the Beijing Capital Airport.

Starting from June 15, all international flights from countries such as Pakistan and those near the Golden Triangle region will run through a detailed inspection given to the entire luggage on board.

On Thursday, three English Springer Spaniels came towards a luggage rack to search for possible drugs as soon as an international flight landed at the Capital Airport at 10:40. Workers from the airport then placed a board near the rack, which read "Dogs are working. Thank you for your cooperation."

A dog trainer in the airport said that these dogs work for eight hours a day, searching all the luggage, postal matter, express mail matter, and other cargoes shipped on international planes.

Director of the Drug Control Department at the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau Chen Qiang said that from June 1 to July 31, the Capital Airport will kick off a two-month campaign against drugs.

Information shows that drugs are often hidden either in the luggage or inside the human body. In order to crack down on drug deals, people from the airport use dogs to cooperate with their work in the search for drugs, and these animals help work when the airport staff carry out security check to passengers, to luggage, and especially to suspects.

Air flights from drug source countries that have direct flights to Beijing will receive a much more detailed check, as all the luggage aboard will go through the checking procedure.

An official of the Drug Control Committee said the aim of this campaign is to make sure that the means of shipping drugs by air can be cut off and “drug traffickers will no longer dare to carry drugs by air."  

(Chinanews.cn June 19, 2006)