118 women, children rescued in crackdown

BEIJING - Chinese police have rescued 118 women and children in a human trafficking crackdown and arrested 167 suspects so far this year.

According to a statement released on Thursday by the country's railway police department, police forces have strengthened patrols in railway stations, ticket offices, waiting rooms and train compartments as many violators have resorted to the railway as a channel for human trafficking.

Also on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Security vowed to strengthen road security and ensure smooth traffic for the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on September 19 this year, and the National Day Holiday in early October.

According to the ministry, more than 177,000 unqualified drivers and 2.65 million vehicles that hadn't been regularly checked on safety grounds have been spotted in a road security campaign launched two months ago.

The ministry called on transportation companies to strictly follow regulations in vehicle operations and urged local police to focus on passenger buses, cargo trucks and minivans.