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6,600 scalpers seized during festival travel rush

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-05 19:05

BEIJING -- Chinese police said Thursday they had seized more than 6,600 train ticket scalpers when millions of Chinese scrambled to get trains home over the Lunar New Year holiday season.

Passengers stream into the railway station in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province Monday, January 12, 2009. Chinese police said Thursday they had seized over 6,600 train ticket scalpers when millions scrambled to get home over the Lunar New Year holiday season. [Xinhua]

Police had seized more than 40,000 scalped tickets, with a total face value of about 5 million yuan (US$730,000) since January 14 when the Ministry of Public Security launched a nationwide campaign to curb illegal ticket deals.

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They had also broken up more than 700 groups involved in producing or selling fake train tickets, said the ministry.

Train tickets were at a premium over the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, holiday as millions of Chinese travel to family gatherings.

Scalping triggered widespread public anger as many people failed to get tickets before the Lunar New Year's day, which fell on January 26.

The Ministry of Railways estimated 188 million people would travel by train, up 8 percent from last year, in the 40-day festival peak period starting from January 11.