BEIJING — China and Vietnam will launch a three-month campaign later this month to crack down on cross-border drug trafficking, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said on Sept 8.

The initiative, the second of its kind between the two countries, will run from September 16 till mid November.

The MPS said the new campaign will see both sides increasing cooperation in investigation on drug-related cases, establishing an effective intelligence-sharing mechanism and stepping up collaboration in apprehending suspects. Citizens living near the borders are also be encouraged to join the campaign, the MPS said.

Joint headquarters for the campaign will be set in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, it said.

With nearly 3 million registered and proven addicts, China has witnessed ballooning drug problems for years.

The borders between Vietnam and China, the MPS said, are one of busiest drug routes into China, with huge amounts of heroin passing through the area. A considerable amount of synthetic drugs are also transported out of China via the same line.

A joint campaign between China and Vietnam last year saw more than 3,800 suspects being arrested and over 900 kilograms of drugs being seized by the police on both sides of the borders.