China prosecutes 1,144 suspects involved in epidemic-related crimes

BEIJING -- A total of 1,144 people in 962 cases had been prosecuted in China over criminal offenses related to the COVID-19 epidemic, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Wednesday.

Prosecutors around the country engaged in the investigation and evidence collection of 6,428 epidemic-related criminal cases that concerned 8,595 people in total as of Tuesday, the SPP said.

They intervened and handled 330 cases involving transmission of the novel coronavirus due to refusal to take preventive measures, 925 cases of manufacturing or selling fake or inferior products such as substandard medical equipment, 153 cases of illegal business operations including price gouging and 605 cases of damaging wildlife resources such as illegal hunting, killing or selling precious or endangered wild animals and their products.

Other cases intervened and handled by prosecutors included crimes such as obstructing official duties, intentional injuries, fraud, fabricating and intentionally transmitting false information, the SPP said.