Beijing, December 23 – hina’s state prosecutor said on Monday it had formally charged Jaycee Chan, son of kung fu movie star Jackie Chan, with a drugs offence, meaning he is almost certain to face trial.
The younger Chan, a 32-year-old actor and singer, was arrested in Beijing this year after testing positive for marijuana, with police saying they found 100 grams of the drug at his home.
In a brief statement on its official microblog, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate said it had begun legal proceedings against him for “the crime of sheltering others to take drugs”. It did not elaborate. President Xi Jinping said in June that China would “harshly crack down” on narcotics, state media reported.
Action and comedy star Jackie Chan, 60, served as a goodwill spokesman for the China National Anti-Drug Committee in 2009, state media reported, promoting anti-drug education. Jaycee Chan was not available for comment. In August, his father offered the public a “deep bow of apology” for his son’s arrest.
China has detained a string of other mostly B-list celebrities in recent months on drug-related charges, cases that have been publicised widely in both state and social media. They have included movie and television stars, film directors and a prominent screenwriter.
Drug crimes carry harsh penalties in China including death or life imprisonment in serious cases. Illegal drugs, especially synthetic substances like methamphetamine, ketamine and ecstasy, have grown in popularity in China in tandem with the rise of a new urban class with greater disposable income.
Also read:
Jackie Chan’s son formally arrested on drugs charge Jaycee Chan, son of Chinese kung fu star Jackie Chan, was formally arrested in Beijing Wednesday following a drugs bust on his residence in the capital.
The arrest was approved by Beijing’s Dongcheng district procuratorate, Xinhua reported. On Aug 14, Beijing police detained many people for drug offences, including Jaycee Chan and Taiwan movie star Ko Chen-tung.
Jackie Chan’s son Jaycee caught with drugs in Beijing Hong Kong action superstar Jackie Chan’s actor-son Jaycee Chan has been detained in Beijing on drug-related charges, the latest high-profile celebrity to be ensnared in one of China’s biggest anti-drug crackdowns in two decades.
Jaycee Chan, 31, was detained last Thursday together with the 23-year-old Taiwanese movie star Kai Ko, Beijing police said late Monday on their official microblog, identifying them only by their surnames, ages and nationalities.
-INDIA TODAY