Eleven illegal foreign currency traders have been sentenced to between one and six years in prison and fines from 30,000 to 120,000 yuan (US$3700 to 16,000), according to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE).

August 25 last year, the SAFE began working with Fujian's Foreign Exchange and Public Security administrations to fight back against underground banks.

Many overseas Chinese have ties to Fujian Province and remit foreign currencies worth billions of yuan there each year. Some of this is mailed across China through underground banks and domestic funds and transformed into foreign capital in order to benefit from favorable policies.

Altogether 522 bank accounts were frozen containing cash surpassing 45 million yuan (US$5 million).

(Xinhua News Agency November 11, 2004)