A due salute to law enforcement

Guns and explosives

Public security bodies have recently worked with departments in other fields to control and severely punish illegal activities involving guns and explosives.

Last year, nationwide crimes involving guns dropped 12.5 percent from 2019 and 15.4 percent for explosives.

Police coordinated with authorities covering cyberspace, customs, market supervision and postal services to stem the sale of real and imitation guns on the internet.

Last year, more than 20,000 cases nationwide related to guns and explosives were solved, 90 gangs smashed and 20,000 suspects arrested. About 140 metric tons of explosives and 76,000 real and imitation guns were confiscated, according to the ministry.

In June, police officers in Xiamen, Fujian province, worked with their counterparts in Chongqing to bust an online gang trafficking guns and ammunition, arresting 9 suspects, seizing 50 guns, 11 grenades, TNT and several detonators.

The ministry organized 153 cities to destroy seized guns and explosives in November. It also launched a new three-year campaign the same month to further reduce the number of guns and explosives.