Society

11 detained for involvement in exam cheating scheme in SW China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-06-09 15:53

GUIYANG - Eleven people have been detained for involvement in a college entrance exam cheating scheme in southwest China's Guizhou Province, provincial authorities said Wednesday.

Eleven of the ring, headed by Xing Zhang, were captured in a hotel of the remote Songtao County along with more than 60 transmitters and three laptops on Sunday, a day before the exam, said Zhou Baoying, head of Guizhou's exam and recruitment center.

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The eleven are believed to have attempted to transmit answers to test takers from hotel rooms. They allegedly sold at least ten cheating devices, one of which was traced by police to test takers in the province's Yinjiang, Sinan, Songtao counties and Zunyi City.

The police are still searching for Li Xuefeng and Tian Zhao, who allegedly transmitted answers to the eleven from an unknown location.

After breaking the ring, the education authorities sent more inspectors to Songtao to step up measures to stop cheating, Zhou said said.

More than 226,000 students took the exam on June 7-8.

Some students were found trying to bring cheating devices into exam venues, Zhou said.

"They were stopped. No cheating was found during the exam, hence no students were penalized."

China Youth Daily reported rampant cheating in Songtao Wednesday, quoting students who claimed to have cheated.

Zhou said the report was unfounded but admitted it was possible that some cheating may have gone unnoticed.

"We did take very strict steps though we cannot guarantee no one cheated."