China overturns ruling in high-profile case concerning psychoactive substances

BEIJING, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese court has overturned the ruling in a high-profile case, a move analysts say underscores the country's firm stance on cracking down on crimes related to new psychoactive substances.

Zhang Zhengbo, a former university chemistry professor, was convicted of smuggling, selling, transporting and manufacturing narcotic drugs in the latest retrial. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the high court of Hubei Province, the Office of China National Narcotics Control Commission said on Thursday.

Between January 2014 and June 2015, Zhang and three others were found to have produced and trafficked state-controlled psychoactive substances amounting to over 110 kilograms.

They were initially convicted of drug crimes in 2017, but the case went through a series of retrials to determine whether their involvement with psychoactive substances constituted drug offenses.

In a 2023 ruling that drew widespread media attention, the offenders were convicted of "illegal business operation" instead and received lesser sentences.

In the December 2024 retrial, the ruling was overturned. Along with Zhang, his principal accomplice, Yang Chaohui, was sentenced to life in prison.

Analysts said it demonstrates China's consistent position on countering narcotics and effectively deters drug-related crimes.