China, Hong Kong drugs war

Customs officers in Hong Kong and southern China are setting up a special task force to tackle a major surge in drug smuggling into the former British colony.

There's been a dramatic rise in the number of seizures of drugs like ecstasy, produced in increasing quantities in mainland China.

Police in Hong Kong say the illegal trade is increasing because of the ease with which people can cross the border and the fact that drugs command high prices in Hong Kong.

The BBC correspondent in Hong Kong says huge markets for these substances are being found among young and newly-affluent consumers in the region.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service