China arrests six suspects in latest crackdown on illegal children's books

CHANGSHA - Local authorities in central China's Hunan province have arrested six people on suspicion of printing and selling over 30.9 million volumes of pirated children's books worth over 350 million yuan (50.5 million US dollars).

This sees the largest amount of money involved in any case related to e-commerce sales of pirated children's books uncovered by the police so far, said the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications on Monday.

In January, local law enforcement authorities in Hunan's Yiyang city spotted an online store seemingly selling pirated children's books.

Upon further investigation, local authorities traced the books back to the city of Yiwu in east China's Zhejiang Province. Afterward, a national network for the publishing, printing, distribution and selling of illegal children's publications, spanning Beijing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan and Guangdong, was uncovered and brought to justice.

Chinese authorities launched a campaign earlier this year to foster a healthy cultural environment for children.