BEIJING – Gang-related murders, drug trafficking and other crimes are rising in China, fueled by growing links with foreign gangs, state media on Friday quoted a senior police official as saying.
"Gang-related crime is on the rise in China, as society is going through tremendous economic and social changes," said Du Hangwei, deputy director of the Public Security Ministry's criminal investigation bureau, quoted by the Xinhua News Agency.
"Evidence shows that more foreign underworld organizations are entering China," Xinhua said, citing Du's comments Thursday at a news conference.
He said gangs from the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau are increasingly "trying to make illegal profits on the mainland."
But Xinhua said Du wouldn't give details on the scale of foreign gang operations in China.
In the biggest court case brought since the government launched an anti-gang crackdown in February, 100 suspects have appeared in court in the central city of Loudi on charges including murder, drug trafficking and kidnapping, according to Xinhua.
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