Society

Beijing raises subway security level to highest

By Zhang Jiawei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-04-14 10:36

Beijing raises subway security level to highest

A SWAT team patrols a subway station in Beijing. [Beijing News]

Beijing's subway security check has reached the highest level in history, with all of its nine subway lines' entrances, passages, stations and security checkpoints being guarded by armed police, SWAT teams, police dogs and law and order police, the Beijing News reported Wednesday.

The city's public transportation police department said it was the first time they are using multiple police coordination to safeguard the subway lines. "But this won't be the highest level for subway security check in the future," a person familiar with the matter said.

Beijing currently has nine subway lines with more than 140 stations and receives 5 million passengers per day on average, with almost 6 million daily passengers during the peak.

The city's public transportation police have handled more than 200 security cases, seized about 85,000 controlled knives and explosives and caught more than 370 fugitives since 2008, the newspaper said.