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China cracks down on illegal firearms

By Hou Lei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-07-20 15:36

Police have seized about 19,000 illegal guns, including 1,297 military-grade firearms in China since beginning a five-month nationwide public security campaign in May, according to a report from the Ministry of Public Security Monday.

The police have also seized 457.9 tons of explosives and 794,000 rounds of ammunition in the campaign.

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"Since we have launched the campaign, police in different places and departments closely cooperate with each other and have achieved notable progress," the report said.

It also highlighted one particularly incident, in which police broke up a gang of illegal gun manufacturers in Shishan county, in northwest China's Gansu Province, confiscating 29 counterfeit pistols and a large number of firearm components and other gun-making tools.