Senior government officials take their cut of opium revenues or bribes in return for keeping quiet. Perversely, some provincial governors and government officials are themselves major players in the drug trade.
由于买通了当地官员，富有地主们的鸦片种植地无人敢碰。法官们受贿或者受到恐吓，因此毒贩头子们从来都是逍遥法外。政府高官抽取鸦片收入或者贿赂以保持缄默。某些省长以及政府官员竟然也是毒品贸易的主要经营者。