Liu Zhaohua

Drug career In 1992, Liu founded Fujian Hongfa Plastic, a plastic processing company near his hometown which would act as the front for his drug business. He used his connections from his time as bailiff to act as partners and distributors for his business.

While producing methamphetamine as a sidejob, Liu noted the quality of his product was poor and as a result would not sell well. In early 1996, Liu learned the process of making methamphetamine efficiently from a retired Professor at Xi'an Jiaotong University. This was done by disguising himself as a researcher looking into a weight control product.

In May 1996, Liu used his savings to construct a factory in his hometown to produce methamphetamine on a large scale. The factory produced over 20 kg of methamphetamine at the start. However, police discovered the factory in the same year in a sting operation where one of the buyers was an undercover officer. Liu had become a fugitive and had escaped Fujian.

Liu moved to Puning, Guangdong, where he continued operations while hiding under an alias. By 1999, Liu had opened additional factories in both Puning, Guangdong and Yinchuan, Ningxia. The factories were more efficient which could produce much greater methamphetamine yields while also emitting less pollutants. In that same year, police discovered 11 tonnes of methamphetamine at a Guangzhou warehouse belonging to him. Liu then escaped to Guilin, Guangxi.

During his time in Guilin, Liu used a new alias and adopted the persona of a high-profile businessman who appeared on television and invested in various projects of the community. He also established Sensen Biotechnology, a biotechnology company used for yew cultivation. Liu moved around China to visit various local universities and scientific research institutions to learn more about the process and collect plant samples and seeds, intending to synthesize pharmaceutical drugs from yew, which was even more profitable than producing methamphetamine. However, the project far exceeded its expected costs and eventually had to be abandoned.

Arrest and sentence

On 24 November 2004, the Ministry of Public Security put a Level A bounty of RMB200,000 (around US$), the nation's highest, to those who could provide clues for Liu's whereabouts.

After seeing himself on television, Liu moved back to his hometown in Fujian. On 5 March 2005, Liu was arrested on his 40th birthday in a rented house after informers tipped off his location.

Liu was sentenced to death on 26 June 2006 by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court for making over 18 tonnes of methamphetamine. The amount Liu made was worth more than US$5 billion and had outweighed the total quantity of methamphetamine seized worldwide in that year. Liu refused to accept the judgment, claiming he never used the formula stated to make methamphetamine, which involved ephedrine, a regulated chemical. Instead, he used propiophenone, an easily accessible chemical used to make rat poison. The appeal was rejected after the Public Security Bureau confirmed the chemical used was not rat poison.

On 15 September 2009, Liu was executed.

Personal life

Liu married three times. He had four children: one son from his first wife, one daughter from his second wife, and one son and one daughter from his third wife.

Liu was said to have had an arrogant personality and believed he could not be touched by the authorities. Even when arrested, he remained calm and taunted the police, believing he would win in court.

Liu became famous after starring in a video in which he justified his role in the drug trade. In this video, he said his drugs were not for domestic consumption and only for foreigners. He further stated that foreigners opened the doors of China with opium (leading to the Opium Wars), so he should be able to open their doors with methamphetamine.