China cracks down on organized crime, providers of 'protective umbrellas'

BEIJING -- China's discipline watchdogs and supervision organs handled 14,000 cases of corruption involving organized crime and officials who provide "protective umbrellas" in 2018, the top anti-graft body said Wednesday.

More than 10,000 Party members and public office holders involved in these cases were punished and 1,899 were transferred for justice, said the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission on its website.

China started the campaign against organized crime and officials who shelter criminal organizations at the beginning of 2018.