Police crack 9 crime dens in Hebei

BEIJING - Police in North China's Hebei province have cracked nine criminal rings allegedly involved in illegal gambling and prostitution, the Ministry of Public Security said on Wednesday.

Police in Sanhe city detained 285 suspects, seized 580,000 yuan ($90,000) and confiscated many tools that could be used to commit crimes, the ministry said.

"The crackdown was launched after we received tip-offs, and we collected the solid evidence through secret investigations," Liu Shaowu, director of security management for the Ministry of Public Security, said on Wednesday.