One of them was the deputy commanding officer of a logistics unit in the Canton military region. The authorities in Beijing, who are mostly han Chinese, and the foreign news agencies all agree that heroin is flooding into northern China. The moslem district of Guanhe, in the Ningxia autonomous region, is even considered China's number two heroin-trafficking hub, after Yunnan. Two heroin hot spots are said to be the towns of Tongxin and Weizhou. Allegedly, heroin is readily available in the bars, karaoke clubs and dance halls that are all the rage among by small businessmen.
Witnesses say prostitutes openly smoke heroin, and intravenous use is growing.
The drug is reportedly brought in via Yunnan by the Hui moslem community, which has a strong presence in the region. Religious leaders in Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia, acknowledge that the Hui, known for their smuggling using mule trains, are actively organizing the drug trade. They also grow poppies for pharmaceutical purposes in neighboring Gansu. Local residents say some of the crop is diverted to supply the local drug market. Moslem Hui were sentenced to death last year in Yunnan, Shanghai, and Zhongwei, in the west of Ningxia.