Nine suspects have been arrested and 113 kilograms of methamphetamine, commonly known as "ice", plus 333 kilograms of semi-finished products seized when a drug production base was busted earlier this week, according to a statement from Dongguan Bureau of Public Security on Wednesday.

The suspects, who were detained in a special operation in the city’s Wanjiang township, include five local residents who used to be the key members of a criminal gang. The suspected leader surnamed Xu, who had been active in Dongguan for years, has also been detained for questioning.

Meanwhile, two replica pistols, raw material for production of ice and a total of 520,000 yuan ($83,870) were also seized in the operation.

The crackdown has dealt a heavy blow to local drug and related crimes in the Pearl River delta city, said the police.