2,200 held after triad crackdown

Nationwide campaign launched against organized crime as 'umbrellas' targeted

BEIJING - Police have smashed nearly 300 triad gangs, conducting nearly 2,200 arrests, in a nationwide crackdown that started on Sept 1, a senior officer of the Ministry of Public Security said on Thursday.

The operation, carried out in coordination with police in 11 provinces and autonomous regions, targeted heads and key members of gangs in Hebei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan, Guangdong, and other areas, Liao Jinrong, deputy director of the ministry's criminal investigation department, told China Daily.