Catching a liar

In November 2022, Ren and her colleagues faced another challenging case.

The suspect had been apprehended but had extensive counter-surveillance skills. He was arrogant and continuously lied during his confession. To expose his deceit, Ren and her team had to meticulously gather evidence that contradicted each of his claims.

"He traveled from Kunming to Mangshi to find a spot for a deal. He lied about his activities during those two days, claiming that his father was sick and that he went to Mangshi to pray in front the Menghuan Grand Golden Pagoda for his father's health," she said.

"Later, we reviewed all the surveillance footage, tracked his movements, and disproved every statement he made until he ultimately confessed in court. Even he was surprised by our work."

Ren said they never found any chat records on the suspect's phone about his criminal activities, but, "he later confessed that they used Alipay's secret chat feature, where messages self-delete after being read."

The female anti-drug team played a crucial role in a case in March 2021, when a 20-year-old foreign woman named Jia fell under the influence of criminals.

Due to her impoverished circumstances, she transported drugs to Dehong. She was caught and arrested, but refused to cooperate with the police investigation.

Ren discovered a photo of Jia with another woman, along with a note that contained the woman's name, phone number and a message.

Recognizing that this woman could be either a family member or a close friend, Ren and a female colleague gently approached Jia to discuss the importance of family bonds and friendship. Gradually, Jia's defenses softened, and she opened up, eventually confessing the truth.

Based on Jia's confession, police were able to continue their investigation and arrested another trafficker, and successfully seized 12 kg of heroin.

By June 2025, the special team had managed over 240 drug cases, addressed 300 border crimes, arrested more than 800 suspects, and seized 1.1 metric tons of drugs.