Jackie Chan's son released after 14-day detention

Beijing: Taiwanese actor Ko Chen-tung, who was arrested along with superstar Jackie Chan’s son

for drug-related charges, was released on Friday after a 14-day detention, amid an anti-narcotics campaign which has netted several celebrities.

Ko, the 23-year-old actor, who confessed to having smoked marijuana and promised that he will never use drugs again was released, police said.

The police are still investigating the case of Jaycee, also known as Fang Zuming, who was taken into custody for “providing a shelter for others to abuse drugs”.

He was arrested from his house here along with Ko on August 14 after the police recovered more than 100 grams of marijuana from Chan’s home.

According to Chinese law those involved in providing locations for others to take drugs face sentences of up to three year in prison.

Jackie who came here to help his son has apologised for his son’s act saying that Jaycee should face the consequences as he was wrong, while himself, being a father, is also responsible.

Chan and Ko have joined a long list of celebrities who have been detained in Beijing during the mainland authorities’ crackdown on drug abuse.

Dozens of reporters and fans waiting outside the detention centre left empty-handed after the police arranged four police cars to escort the actor and his parents to a hotel.

At the parking lot of the hotel, Ko was surrounded by a scrum of cameramen, who caught on camera his attempt to fight with the reporters, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

However, Ko’s agent denied that the actor had attempted to fight reporters saying that he was trying to stop his father from quarrelling with the journalists instead.

A day after the police made public Ko’s detention, state television aired his tearful confession in the detention centre, in which he asked the public to give him a second chance and accept him “with open arms” after his release.

Several Chinese Other artists arrested for drug offences over the past six months included singer Li Daimo, director Zhang Yuan, actor Zhang Mo, screenwriter Chen Wanning, also known as Ning Caishen, and Hong Kong actor Roy Cheung.

PTI