Hunan police catch 134 in drug den raid

By Chen Qian  |   2009-9-24  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

MORE than 130 suspects were caught when police in Hunan Province raided a drug den, officers announced on Tuesday.

Police in the provincial capital Changsha also seized drugs including ecstasy at the private club that had hidden rooms for drug users, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.

The city organized 160 police officers for the raid, which netted 134 suspects.

The upscale club only accepted frequent customers. It appeared to be a regular club with karaoke rooms for authorities to check. The hidden rooms were downstairs.

Visitors could only enter the special rooms after checks by security guard. The club had surveillance cameras installed in most areas and at emergency exits so guests would have some warning of a raid, the report said.

One room cost 5,800 yuan (US$853) a night but most customers usually spent considerably more, police were cited as saying.

The clubs' operators made decisions every day whether to open the drug rooms for business, according to the Xinhua report.