A total of 1,147 foreign abductees, including 1,130 women and 17 children, have been rescued in China thanks to a multinational crackdown on abducting and trafficking of people, Chinese police said Friday.

The operation jointly conducted by China and five other countries from July to December 2018 saw the investigation of 760 cases of abducting and selling people and marriage fraud and the arrest of 1,332 criminal suspects, including 262 foreigners, according to officials of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) at a press conference in Beijing.

The joint action featured information sharing and coordinated moves among police agencies of China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.

It was carried out against the background that in a number of cases in recent years criminal suspects inside and outside China colluded to abduct some women from neighboring countries into China in the name of job introduction, tourism and marriage and sold them as wives, said Guo Lin, an MPS spokesperson.

Measures

Chinese police agencies increased efforts to investigate cases of transnational kidnapping and trafficking crime, including gathering tips from the public and personal visits, said Chen Shiqu, deputy director of the criminal investigation bureau under the MPS, while elaborating on the measures taken by China for the operation.

Local immigration and exit and entry authorities beefed up border checks, with greater efforts to review tips regarding the abduction of foreign women and children, while cybersecurity and intelligence agencies provided support for investigations and rescue operations, he said.

China has set up eight offices of liaison officers for anti-abduction law enforcement cooperation in border areas, which communicate and share information in a timely manner with authorities in Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos and can also facilitate the return of abductees, according to the official.

The police introduced strengthened management and control measures at border areas, including increased personnel, resource and technology deployment, to check and cut the channels for such crimes, Chen said.

To reduce relevant crimes from the source of demand, Chen said the police also worked to punish the buyers of the abducted women and children.

At the press conference, the MPS also disclosed five major cases in the operation, including one in which Chinese police captured 362 suspects, rescuing 274 women from Cambodia.

Continued efforts

The MPS' criminal investigation authority said the police will establish a long-term mechanism to reduce similar crimes and maintain a tough stance in this regard.

It will also strengthen law enforcement cooperation and ensure the crackdowns target every process of the violations.

Moreover, efforts to promote public awareness of relevant work will be intensified. For example, unmarried Chinese men are advised to be vigilant about relationships involving foreign citizens in order to avoid marriage fraud, the police source said.

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