Pyramid schemes cracked

Police across Guangdong detained more than 280 suspects in a crackdown on illegal pyramid schemes in mid-June, according to a senior police officer on Monday.

"Police busted more than 70 secret pyramid sales dens in the special campaign code-named Jufeng-23, which was launched simultaneously in 16 Guangdong cities," said Wu Wuqiang, deputy director of the Guangdong Public Security Bureau's economic criminal investigation division.

"Meanwhile, police seized a large number of computers, bank cards and mobile phones used in pyramid sales after cracking more than 50 cases involving more than 1 billion yuan ($146 million)," Wu told a news conference.