Over 22,000 prosecuted for damaging environment, resources along Yangtze River

HANGZHOU -- A total of 22,543 people in China were prosecuted for damaging the environment and resources along the Yangtze River Economic Belt in the first 11 months of the year, according to a white paper issued by the Supreme People's Procuratorate Friday.

Procuratorial organs in the 11 provincial-level regions along the Yangtze River Economic Belt approved the arrest of 3,335 people involved in such crimes, figures from the white paper show.

Prosecutors in these regions this year intensified the crackdown on crimes damaging the environment and resources, including illegal mining, activities causing environmental pollution and the illegal purchase, transportation or selling of rare or endangered wildlife and their byproducts. They have handled 77.36 percent of all such cases, says the white paper.