Police seize thousands in crackdown on online crimes

Chinese police have captured 2,120 suspects involved in online drug-related crimes and confiscated 268 kilograms of narcotics in a special crackdown, the Ministry of Public Security announced Sunday.

"Further investigations into these crimes are still underway," said a statement from the ministry, adding that 11 drug making workshops were also destroyed and 7.93 tonnes of precursor chemicals were confiscated in the operation.

According to the ministry, cases involved in the crackdown occurred in multiple province-level regions and were characterized by "highly covert criminal methods, tight-knit organizations and having seriously harmed Internet security and social order."

In one specific case uncovered by police in east China's Jiangsu Province, a huge number of drug abusers were asked to perform drug-taking in front of a web cam via an online video website.

The case led to the arrest of 651 suspects in 29 province-level regions.

"The Internet has been used as a 'schoolroom' for drug crimes and a market for drug deals by criminals in recent years," said the statement, adding that the police will strengthen Internet patrol and continue the crackdown on online drug-related crimes.