54 fugitives nabbed amid railway police's holiday offensive

BEIJING -- Chinese railway police captured 54 fugitives during the three-day New Year holiday from Jan 1 to 3, said the Ministry of Public Security.

During the holiday season, police nationwide beefed up patrols and tightened security checks at major railway stations.

They also solved 38 criminal cases and helped seize about 154,000 hazardous and prohibited items in passengers' belongings, the ministry said.

Roughly 34.73 million people traveled by train in China during the four-day New Year travel rush starting on Dec 31, with a spike on Jan 1, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.