Jackie Chan's son Kai Ko charged for drug offense in China

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.

Hong Kong (CNN) -- 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.

Chan shame over son’s drug charge

Jackie Chan has said he feels shame for his son, who has been indicted by Beijing prosecutors on a drug charge and could be jailed for up to three years.

The remarks, reported by China’s official Xinhua News Agency, came two days after authorities announced the indictment against Jaycee Chan, 32, who is charged with sheltering others to use drugs. The scandal has been particularly embarrassing for Hong Kong movie star Jackie, who was named by Beijing as an anti-drug ambassador in 2009.

Jackie, who sits on China’s top national political advisory panel - the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference - told Xinhua that he did not use his connections to interfere with the case and that he hopes his singer-actor son will become an anti-drug ambassador when he is released. Beijing police detained the younger Chan at his Beijing apartment in August along with Taiwanese movie star Ko Kai.