Chinese police bust over 3,300 dens for telecom, online fraud

BEIJING -- Chinese police have busted over 3,300 criminal dens for telecom and online fraud in a recent campaign on the issue, according to the Ministry of Public Security on Tuesday.

The campaign, with joint efforts of public security authorities in Shandong, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan provinces, has seen a number of criminal suspects arrested.

Around 104,000 sets of fraud equipment, including mobile phones and computers, and over 58 million yuan (around 8.05 million U.S. dollars) worth of cash and virtual currency were confiscated in the campaign.

Since 2022, the ministry has launched multiple crackdowns on telecom and cyber fraud and related crimes, in which more than 5,100 dens have been busted.

The campaigns have smashed criminal gangs that provide support services, such as money transfer and laundering for overseas fraud groups, and arrested and punished fraud suspects returning to China from overseas and suspects involved in financial fraud in accordance with the law, according to the ministry.