Jaycee Chan In Happier Days /File photo/REUTERS/ Fred Prouser
Jaycee Chan is under police arrest for serious charges of drug abuse.File photo/REUTERS/ Fred Prouser REUTERS/ Fred Prouser

Jackie Chan's son is now formally arrested by the police on charges of drug abuse and suspicion of allowing other people to consume the drugs.

South China Morning Post reported the latest update, which revealed that the prosecutor's office in Beijing's Dongcheng district approved the arrest of Jaycee Fong Cho-Ming, known as Jaycee Chan, son of Jackie Chan, on suspicion of "accommodating drug users".

The 32-year-old actor and singer was arrested after testing positive for marijuana and keeping 100 grams of the same in his home. The Public Security Bureau of Dongcheng had sought the prosecutor's approval for Chan's arrest on September 10. The request was made following the star's detention.

The actions of the police are regarded as parallel to the orders of President Xi Jinping in June, when he declared that China would 'harshly crack down on narcotics'. A string of other celebrities, which include movie and television stars, film directors and a prominent screenwriter, have been arrested in the previous months for similar drug related charges, as per Daily News.

Among the other arrests, Chan is one of the most high profile cases that caught the world's attention due to being a famous action actor and comedian's son. Ironically, the Chinese authorities named Jackie Chan as an anti-drug ambassador in 2009. Immediately following the apprehension of his son, the actor has given a public apology. He also pledged to assist his son to work towards recovery.

The arrest has come as a major setback for the family. If found guilty, Jaycee Chan could face three years imprisonment. Police records show that at the time of the arrest, he was using drugs at a foot massage parlor in Beijing. Drug related offenses, especially in public places, carry huge penalties in China, including life imprisonment or death in extremely serious cases.

Jaycee Chan was detained along with a Taiwanese movie star Ko Kai. The 23-year-old Kai was given a sentence of 14 days in administrative detention after he admitted to using marijuana. As per an exclusive report by South China Morning Post, Chan admitted to drug abuse since 2006 while Kai confessed he did it only for the first time in Chan's home about two years ago.

Following his release from police detention, Kai appeared at a news conference with his parents and publicly apologized for using illegal drugs.