IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Beijing

Crackdown ordered on illegal gambling

Local authorities are required to crack down on illegal gambling activities in rural areas around the Spring Festival holiday, according to a notice published by the Ministry of Public Security and the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee on Wednesday. Gambling activities in rural areas tend to flourish during holidays and are often associated with gang crimes. Villagers who become rich overnight after receiving compensation for land expropriation and demolition have become new targets, so prosecuting the gangs that facilitate such illegal activities is key during the crackdown, the notice said.