Chinese police have detained 4,953 people in connection with more than 10,000 cases of theft and vandalism of electricity, telecommunications and broadcasting facilities.

The crackdown was launched in February to ensure normal operation of these facilities ahead of the National Day on Oct. 1.

From March to June, police confiscated illegal holdings worth about 36.44 million yuan (5.33 million U.S dollars) and broke up 309 criminal gangs, said a statement on the Ministry of Public Security website Tuesday.

Nine government departments including the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology launched the campaign to curb widespread vandalism and theft of electricity, telecom and broadcasting facilities.

The campaign, which is to end in November, had so far "effectively curbed" the number of vandalism and theft cases, the statement said.

The statement said without giving numbers that theft and vandalism cases at electricity facilities from March to June dropped 73.8 percent year on year, while economic losses decreased 66.6 percent.

The number of theft and vandalism cases involving telecom facilities dropped 62 percent year on year, with economic losses down 60 percent.

Police launched a similar campaign from March to October last year to ensure normal operation of these facilities during the Beijing Olympic Games.

(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2009)