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Chinese Ministry of Public Security and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have jointly cracked a cross-border case involving precursor chemicals used to produce synthetic cannabinoids, China's Ministry of Public Security said in a report on Thursday.

Chinese police arrested 21 suspects in a coordinated operation in August, including two Chinese nationals whose information had earlier been provided by the US side, the report said. 

Police also seized a batch of non-controlled precursor chemicals that could be used in drug production.

The investigation began after the US side informed China in early May 2026 about two Chinese nationals, surnamed Xing and Song, who were suspected of involvement in the case, according to the ministry. 

Chinese investigators later found that the information was connected to another case already under investigation in China. The ministry then decided to combine the cases and launch a joint investigation.

In mid-August, the ministry organized police in Hebei and other regions to carry out a coordinated operation, during which 21 suspects, including Xing and Song, were arrested.

The US side had earlier arrested two American drug suspects in the US, according to the report.

The two allegedly purchased non-controlled precursor chemicals, used them to manufacture drugs in the US, and then distributed the drugs to inmates in multiple federal and state penitentiaries.

The Ministry of Public Security said the successful investigation demonstrated the effective operation of the China-US counternarcotics law-enforcement cooperation mechanism and marked another concrete result of practical cooperation between the two countries' drug-control authorities.

Global Times