A United Nations (UN) official revealed corruption in the pharmaceutical industry is paving the way for Chinese drugs gang to proliferate and operate across the globe.

Senior UN drugs official Jeremy Douglas said crooked pharmaceutical and chemical industries in China provide the Chinese drug syndicates with necessary chemicals to produce methamphetamine, or more locally known as "ice".

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"To operate a lab like this, you need a lot of chemicals, which are legitimate, regulated chemicals from the pharmaceutical industry," Douglas said.

Douglas's remarks come after 2.4 tons of methamphetamine were seized in Lufeng District, Guangdong Province earlier this year.

"They've been doing it for a long time, which means they're getting these chemicals on a regular basis," said Douglas, as he accused pharmaceutical companies of supplying these illegal drug manufacturers of needed chemicals in exchange of large amount of money.

"There is some kind of corruption in the chemical/pharmaceutical industry taking place allowing this to happen," he added.

Last year, China launched its 6-month anti-drugs campaign called "Ban Drugs in Hundreds of Cities" that led to the arrest of more than 60,000 people suspected of being involved in illegal drug operations. 

State media reported around 180,000 drug users had been punished with 55,000 sent to government-run rehabilitation centers.

In November, some 3,000 officers were deployed in an anti-drugs campaign that led to the seizure of 2.7 tons of methamphetamine and 20 tons of chemicals used to produce "ice".

In Jakarta, Indonesia, police have arrested 11 members of a Chinese methamphetamine gang, seizing from them over 8 kilograms of the illegal drug.

Government data showed an estimated 6.5 million Chinese are addicted to methamphetamine.

Officials say, methamphetamine drugs together with raw chemicals used to manufacture it, are being shipped to Mexico, which drug cartels use as an entry point to the US. 

In China, those caught trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine may face penalty up to death.

TagsDrugs, illegal drugs, methamphetamine, Ice