BEIJING - Twenty-one Chinese policemen died and 495 were injured in a six-month national campaign to arrest fugitive suspects, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement Monday.

Some died of heart attacks, cerebral infarctions or in traffic accidents on their way to chase criminals, while others died in the fight against fugitive criminals, according to the ministry.

The police campaign, which began in May, has seen the arrests of 12,000 fugitive homicide suspects so far.

During the high-profile crackdown, 23,000 fugitives whose whereabouts had remained unknown to police for at least 10 years were arrested, according to a statement from the ministry on Saturday.

Police also apprehended 190 criminals on China's "most wanted" list, including Ji Siguang, a fugitive-turned-TV actor famous for his role as an intelligence agent in the Chinese TV hit "Lurk."

The ministry said police will continue their pursuit of suspects.