Shanghai police raided nightclubs, Internet cafes and private homes, detaining more than 1,300 people suspected of crimes including illegal gambling and robbery, a newspaper reported yesterday.
More than 1,000 officers joined in Tuesday's raids, which resulted in the seizure of 17 vehicles suspected of being used in crimes and eight gambling machines, the Shanghai Daily said.
Among those detained, two were on a national wanted list for allegedly organizing gambling on the Internet, it said. Others were suspected of break-ins at area schools.
The raids are part of a citywide anti-crime crackdown launched at the beginning of the month, the paper said.
While Shanghai and other Chinese cities remain relatively free of street crime, police have struggled to upgrade their skills and equipment to deal with more sophisticated criminals. Organized gangs, largely made up of migrants from poorer parts of China are blamed for much of the criminal activity.
The Shanghai raids also come amid a nationwide crackdown on gambling launched at the beginning of the year. Police had arrested more than 10,000 gambling suspects as of last month.
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