Song Liugen, Ma Xianzhou and Hao Hongshan, three alleged top members of the gang, were captured by police in Shenzhen and Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province, according to Zhengzhou's public security bureau.

To date, police have apprehended 102 members of the gang and uncovered more than 200 offenses, including 15 manslaughters.

More than 10 guns, 61 cars, 2,400 cartridges and 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) were also seized, said Li Minqing, director of the bureau.

Judging from the number of members and crimes the gang had allegedly committed, it was the largest organized crime group in Henan Province, said Li, adding that it had existed for more than 10 years and had created a huge secret criminal web.

Henan police have been tracking the gang for six years and focused more attention on smashing it in the first half of 2003.

(Xinhua News Agency July 3, 2003)