BEIJING -- Chinese authorities have seized 775 bogus military vehicles and more than 1,000 stolen and fake military license plates since July, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) headquarters have announced.

The seizures came in a crackdown that was launched in nine provinces and regions -- Beijing, Shanghai, Liaoning, Henan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Shanxi, Guangdong and Guangxi -- where bogus and stolen military vehicle plates were a serious problem, the source said.

More than 20,000 personnel were mobilized by the PLA and the Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Communications during the campaign, who inspected more than 30,000 military vehicles and retrieved 144 stolen plates.

They arrested 123 people from ten gangs involved in stealing, counterfeiting and trading military vehicle plates, according to an official with the General Political Department of the PLA.

A gang based in Beijing involving more than 20 people started stealing and trading military plates in 1998. Investigations found they had dealt with at least 100 plates and profited by hundreds and thousands of yuan.

They sold the plates to Guangdong and Yunnan provinces via post offices and banks.

Two people in Guangzhou City faked military certificates and seals and sold stolen military plates with the identities of military officers. They had made about 200,000 yuan (US$25,000) out of the six illegal deals since June.

The PLA departments also revealed at least 10 bogus military transportation groups with the help of local police and transportation authorities in Shanghai, Guangdong, Shanxi and Shaanxi.

Those found guilty of the unauthorized production and trading of military vehicle plates face a maximum of three years in prison and fines, says the 375th article of the Criminal Law.