BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police detained more than 8,500 suspects involved in food-related crimes in the first five months this year, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) announced Thursday.
During the period, more than 4,500 criminal cases related to endangering food safety were investigated and over 3,800 illegal factories and workshops were destroyed, said Lyu Wuqin, director of the food and drug crime investigation bureau of the MPS, at a press conference.
"The move has effectively deterred related criminal activities," Lyu said.
In early 2019, the MPS integrated relevant responsibilities of several bureaus to establish the food and drug crime investigation bureau, which is tasked with cracking down on crimes involving food, drug and intellectual property rights, as well as ecology and environment, forest and grassland and biosafety.
Highlighting prominent criminal activities related to food and drug and their vile social impact in recent years, Lyu said the newly-established bureau is expected to improve the professional level and combat capability of the police in this field.
The bureau is planning to launch a six-month nationwide crackdown soon on crimes involving meat, farm produce and counterfeit alcohol brands, targeting venues including supermarkets, wholesale and rural markets, as well as schools.
