China's public security departments have punished 17 rumormongers in the wake of the disastrous earthquake as of Thursday, according to the Ministry of Public Security on Thursday.

Public security bureaux in 11 provinces and municipalities including Hebei, Liaoning and Anhui, found more than 40 messages that circulated malicious rumors about the earthquake on the Internet and found 17 people were responsible.

The Ministry failed to mention what exactly the rumors were, but claimed that these people "spread false information, made sensational statements and sapped public confidence."

Among them, two were put in custody by local public security bureaux, a means of punishment that ranges from one to 15 days' detention, another two were asked to write apologies and another 13 were given warnings.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2008)