HARBIN - Police in a northeast China city busted a cross-province narcotics gang that distributed methcathinone, a flesh-eating drug that makes people act like zombies.

The public security bureau of Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province, said on microblog Sina Weibo on Wednesday that it had detained 17 people in a raid. It also seized seven kilograms of methcathinone and 300 grams of crystal meth.

The suspects are accused of distributing the drugs in Harbin and its surrounding areas after buying them from Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, according to the bureau.

The psychoactive stimulant drug is quite cheap and highly addictive, and has been known to cause users to turn violent.