GUANGZHOU: Officials of the Guangdong provincial people's conference yesterday called on authorities to step up efforts to curb drug-related crimes, saying the southern province was now a major base for producing and trafficking banned substances in the country.

"Guangdong has become a massive base for producing and trafficking drugs," said Lei Hu, an official with the investigation office of drug crimes under the Guangzhou public security bureau.

He said synthetic drugs such as ecstasy pills and "ice (crystal methamphetamine)", and many other "soft drugs", were now being produced in Guangzhou, the provincial capital.