With Spring Festival around the corner it will ensure order

Railway stations in Beijing are ready for the Spring Festival travel period and have at their disposal a large number of police officers who are trained to watch out for the illegal activity that goes along with humanity's largest annual migration.

More than 300 young police officers with outstanding records have been transferred from different departments to form three elite security groups - codenamed Blue Shield, Iron Eagle and the Peacekeepers.

All of the elite officers started work on Jan 9, as the busy travel season started.

Each of the three teams has been assigned specific duties. Blue Shield will crack down on illegal ticket sellers. Iron Eagle will watch out for thieves and the Peacekeepers will patrol stations.

Some officers will carry weapons and some will use patrol dogs that have been trained to find illegal items, such as drugs and explosives.

On their first day of duty, the three groups found more than 400 illegal items - mainly controlled knives and inflammables - at the capital's four main railway stations.

"I think we are more prepared than we have been in previous years in terms of both the police force, our facilities and plans," said an official surnamed Ma from the Beijing railway police.

Ma said this year is likely to be especially busy with a mixture of migrant workers, students and visitors all on the move.

Police officers watching over the capital's stations will work around the clock.

"They surely won't be able to have a break before New Year's Eve," he said.

"But I am happy to say morale is very high."

One of the officers' main responsibilities will be to ask ticket holders whether they bought their tickets on the black market.

"That could help us track down illegal ticket sellers, and once they are found, they will be severely punished," Ma said.

"I am glad that passengers have all been very willing to cooperate with us."