Presentazione

da "www.theaustralian.news.com.au"

August 18, 2009
 
POLICE in southwest China's Chongqing city have detained more that 1,500 suspects in a widening crackdown on organised crime that has implicated several senior officials, state media report.

A total of 1544 suspected members of 14 different gangs are now in detention, while 469 on the wanted list are still at large, the China Daily said today, citing officials in Chongqing, one of the country's largest cities.

The gangs that are being broken up are believed to have been involved in illegal loan businesses worth $5.36 billion, equivalent to one third of the city's annual revenue, the paper said.

The crackdown has attracted extra attention because it has also targeted Wen Qiang, director of the city's justice bureau, who allegedly protected the gangs from investigation.

Another senior public figure detained by police was Li Qiang, a local legislator and business executive, who allegedly used illegal methods to gain control of Chongqing's transportation market, the paper said.

It reported that in the 30 minutes after Li was detained, his mobile phone received numerous text messages - many by members of the police force - urging him to flee.