Along the 12-km-long Ruili River, which forms part of the border between China and Myanmar, more than 100 officers from the task force at Ruili police station prevent people from stowing away on vessels and using kayaks and rafts. In addition to patrolling the river, they inspect road traffic.
To date, the team has seized 47 vessels operating illegally, 40 illegal immigrants, and turned back 35 people trying to enter China illegally from Myanmar. Since January last year, team members have transferred to China about 13,000 Chinese who entered Myanmar illegally. These people turned themselves to the police, as they wanted to escape the virus.
Besides illegal immigration, the team also cracks down on cross-border crimes such as smuggling, drug trafficking and fraud. The team operates 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. Zhang Juntian, deputy head of the team, said, "We cannot relax for one moment, because there is always hidden danger."
Yunnan is home to 25 border counties in eight prefectures or cities, and there is a high risk of COVID-19 cases imported to China. Several outbreaks have been reported in Yunnan since the pandemic emerged in China at the end of 2019. Many imported cases have spread in border communities such as Ruili.
To strengthen prevention and control efforts, police, health workers and villagers are on call 24 hours a day to clamp down on illegal migration and to promote health guidance and vaccination.