Hong Kong -- The 32-year-old son of actor and kung fu star Jackie Chan has been charged with a drug offense and could face up to three years in jail.
The Supreme People's
Procuratorate said in a brief statement on Sina Weibo, a Chinese
microblogging site, that it had begun legal proceedings against actor
Jaycee Chan for "the crime of sheltering others to take drugs."
Chan, who is originally
from Hong Kong, is one of the highest profile celebrity offenders caught
in Beijing's clampdown on drug use in the city.
He was arrested alongside
23 year-old Taiwanese actor Kai Ko in August this year. The pair were
detained by Beijing police during a raid in Dongcheng district, the
city's commercial and cultural center.
Both men tested positive for marijuana and police later found more than 100 grams of the drug after searching Chan's apartment.
Ko was released after 14 days in administrative detention, while Chan has remained in police custody since his arrest.
State broadcaster CCTV aired footage of Chan, his face blurred, showing police where the drugs were hidden at his home, while Ko was shown making a tearful apology.
"I very much regret about
what happened. I'm very sorry to those who support me, like me or even
know me personally," he said. "I just want to tell them I'm really
sorry. I've set the worst example, which had the most terrible
influence. And this is a huge mistake."
Celebrity targets
The two actors are being
seen as the targets of the capital's latest anti-drugs campaign, which
has seen more than 7,000 people detained for using drugs, a 72% year-on-year increase, according to the China Daily.
Celebrities are
increasingly in the spotlight, with a number of high-profile arrests
over drug-related incidents in recent months, including popular movie
actor Zhang Mo and singer Li Daimo, who was sentenced to nine months in
jail earlier this year for hosting a crystal meth party at his home, according to the China Daily.
Earlier this month,
dozens of management agencies representing performers in the
entertainment industry signed an agreement with Beijing authorities
banning drug use from the industry and pledging to sack artists who
break the law.
'Extremely furious'
Jackie Chan publicly addressed the incident immediately after his son was arrested in August on Sina Weibo.
He said he was "extremely furious" and "extremely shocked" at the news of his son's arrest.
READ: Jackie Chan responds to son's drug bust: 'I'm extremely furious'
"I hope that young people will see Jaycee as a cautionary tale and stay away from drugs," he said.
"I failed to teach my son and I should also bear responsibility. Jaycee and I deeply bow in apology to society."
The elder Chan, who has
starred in a number of Hollywood movies including "Rush Hour" and "The
Karate Kid," has actually campaigned against drug use, and was named an
anti-drugs ambassador in China in 2009.
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