China launches campaign to crack down on illegal wildlife trade

BEIJING -- A campaign aiming to combat illegal wildlife trade investigated nearly 12,000 wildlife cases and seized more than 130,000 animals and plants from February 15 to May 15, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said Tuesday.

The campaign, which was launched by the administration and other 10 authorities, busted 719 criminal gangs and dealt with more than 14,000 criminals during the period.

The campaign also confiscated over 56 million yuan (about 8.3 million U.S. dollars) of illegal gains and imposed fines and penalties worth more than 100 million yuan.

For the next step, China will further improve its law enforcement mechanism and continue to promote publicity and education activities to help crack down on illegal wildlife trade, the administration said.