China police dismantle more than 1,000 criminal gangs in nationwide crackdown

Chinese police have captured more than 8,200 suspects and dismantled more than 1,000 criminal gangs in a nationwide crackdown on organized crime, the Ministry of Public Security said.

The first round of the campaign, launched recently under a national directive to deepen the fight against organized crime, also solved more than 5,400 criminal cases, according to the ministry.

Chinese authorities have maintained a high-pressure campaign against organized crime in recent years, saying such crimes have been effectively contained and that public security has continued to improve.

But authorities said some criminal groups have adopted more covert methods and new forms of criminal activity, particularly through the internet and the use of nonviolent coercion.

The ministry identified online loan scams involving abusive collection practices, extortion through threats to damage a person's reputation, fraudulent compensation claims, staged workplace or labor disputes, forced consumption and online harassment as emerging forms of organized crime.

Such activities have disrupted economic and social order and undermined public confidence in safety, the ministry said.

The ministry said it had reviewed case leads nationwide and ordered police departments to carry out the first coordinated operation targeting the newer forms of organized crime while continuing to crack down on traditional offenses.

In Zhejiang province, police dismantled a gang accused of operating an online loan scam and using coercive debt-collection methods, capturing 109 suspects, the ministry said.

In Shandong province, police broke up a group accused of deliberately causing traffic accidents to extort money from motorists. Twenty-seven suspects were captured, according to the ministry.

Police in Henan province dismantled a gang accused of extorting money by making malicious complaints against online shops, capturing 41 suspects.

In Guangdong province, police identified and dismantled eight gangs accused of extorting construction sites through staged labor-related disputes. A total of 65 suspects were captured.

A ministry official said police would continue to take the initiative against organized crime and launch further concentrated operations, vowing to crack down on criminal groups as soon as they emerge.

The campaign is intended to maintain pressure on organized crime and ensure that the broader crackdown produces tangible results, the official said.