Life behind the lines of an undercover narcotics officer

Zhang Wei (pseudonym) still remembers his first undercover operation as a narcotics officer back in 2004. He and a female colleague posed as a couple to meet a suspected drug trafficker and confirm the location of a deal.

It was a relatively straightforward assignment, but Zhang admitted he was "a little excited and nervous" — feelings that nearly led to a fatal mistake. In the middle of the operation, he slipped into his native dialect instead of speaking Mandarin, potentially exposing his background.

"My partner gave me a quick cue, and I switched back immediately. Fortunately, the trafficker didn't notice," he said.