Public security authorities across China have handled around 22,000 criminal cases related to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as of Monday, according to the Ministry of Public Security. A total of 1,029 people have been prosecuted in China over criminal offenses related to the COVID-19 epidemic, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) said Wednesday.
A total of 4,260 suspects implicated in the cases have been detained, Vice Minister Du Hangwei said at a press conference Wednesday.
So far, police have cracked 688 cases involving the production and sale of counterfeit and shoddy protective materials, with more than 1,560 suspects apprehended and over 31 million fake or inferior face masks seized, Du said.
A total of 49 police officers and auxiliary police officers across the country sacrificed their lives while on duty during the epidemic outbreak, said Du.
He added that public security agencies will continue to crack down on crimes, including interfering with transportation and logistics, price gouging and disrupting the production order.
Du also urged police officers to avoid violence in enforcing laws and carry out investigations in strict accordance with the law.
Police officers should crack down on illegal activities severely hindering epidemic control or business resumption while educating those involved in minor cases, Du added.
China prosecutes over 1,000 people involved in epidemic-related crimes
Prosecutors around the country have been involved in the investigation and evidence collection of 6,144 epidemic-related criminal offenses that concerned 8,243 people in total, the SPP said.
They intervened and handled 383 cases of causing transmission of the novel coronavirus due to refusal to take preventive measures, 895 cases of manufacturing or selling fake products, and 144 cases of illegal business operations.
Other cases intervened and handled by prosecutors included crimes such as obstructing official duties, intentional injuries, fraud, fabricating and intentionally transmitting false information and illegally hunting or killing precious or endangered wild animals, according to the SPP.