The Guangdong police announced yesterday that they will launch a campaign to smash economic crimes in the southern province.

Zheng Shaodong, deputy director-general of the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Public Security, said that the campaign, which starts on September 15, will focus on investigating big cases, organized crime and fighting gangs engaged in economic crimes.

It is the first time the police in Guangdong have launched a special campaign to fight economic crimes, he told a press conference in Guangzhou.

The campaign was aimed at bringing economic crimes under control in the province which borders the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, Zheng said.

The campaign, which has been dubbed "the Autumn Battle," will continue until December.

Priority will be given to cracking down on the issuing of fake value-added invoices, tax evasion, pyramid sales, financial fraud, contract swindles, illegal trading of foreign currencies, production of counterfeit cigarettes and banknotes, said Zheng, who will also command the campaign.

"These economic crimes are now taking place in Guangdong and are affecting the province's normal economic operations, particularly the financial industry," said Zheng.

Guangdong police had investigated more than 2,100 cases of economic crimes in the first 8 months of this year.

And a total of 3,030 people, including some prime suspects, have been detained for further investigation, Zheng said.

Economic losses valued at more than 150 million yuan (US$18.1 million) had been retrieved through investigating the province's economic crimes between January and August this year, he added.

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