Illegal knives and guns seized during crackdowns on gang crimes are seen at a news conference in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, April 10, 2012. [Photo/Asianewsphoto]

Guangzhou - Police across the southern province of Guangdong have busted 239 criminal gangs that used violence to monopolize markets since a special campaign was launched on Feb 9, the provincial police authority said at a news conference on Tuesday.

A total of 1,571 suspects have been detained in 781 cases during the campaign, which will last until the end of November, according to Yang Jianghua, director of the criminal investigation department under the Guangdong provincial bureau of public security.

In one major criminal gang that monopolized a flower bazaar in the Fangcun area of the provincial capital of Guangzhou, 56 suspects were detained in a special operation launched late last month. The gang was investigated in relation to 14 criminal cases, including forcing vic-tims to trade, intentional injuries and intimidation, Yang said.

"To monopolize the market, the gang used acts of violence, including beating, smashing and looting, to force the traders who abided by laws and market regulations to move away,” Yang said.

Meanwhile, police in the city of Huizhou detained 45 suspects after they fought a similar criminal gang on March 13, while police in the city of Dongguan cracked two criminal gangs on Feb 27 and March 14, detaining 19 suspects.

"The two criminal gangs in Dongguan used to monopolize the city’s secondhand property trading market,” said Yang.

“The special campaign that has been welcomed by many local business representatives and residents has dealt a heavy blow to local criminal gangs,” Yang said.

Illegal knives and guns seized during crackdowns on gang crimes are seen at a news conference in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, April 10, 2012. [Photo/Asianewsphoto]

He hinted more operations will be launched, with priority given to fighting those protecting the gangs. According to Yang, residents who tipped off police will be awarded up to 50,000 yuan ($7,900) if their report could lead to the cracking of a criminal case.

Wang Daohang, a Guangzhou white-collar worker, said the crackdown has helped deter crimes. "I hope police will not lower their vigilance in the following months,” Wang said.

"Police need to introduce concrete and effective measures to ensure a good and healthy environment to serve the province’s economic growth,” he added.

Contact the writer at zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn