65 arrested for online gun sales in China

NANJING - Police in East China's Jiangsu province have busted six gun-selling rings, arresting 65 people for illegally selling guns online, local police said Friday.

Police in Xuzhou city said they had seized 20 guns, more than 300 gun parts and 20,000 bullets, and destroyed three bullet-making workshops after five months of investigation.

The police first noticed the suspects in online group chats where they used "dog" and "dog food" as codes for guns and bullets in January.

Following the lead, more than 200 police officers joined an operation across 23 provinces and 58 cities to arrest the suspects in March.

Members of the public are not allowed to make, sell or possess guns in China. According to Chinese law, a person could face up to seven years of imprisonment if convicted of illegally owning a gun.