TAIYUAN - North China's Shanxi Province has busted 26 criminal gangs and arrested 155 suspects since the start of this year in a campaign against gang crime and corrupt officials.

The Shanxi public security department said Monday that the crackdown will continue to purifying the province's political environment.

Wang Jianming, secretary of the political and legal affairs commission of the provincial Party committee, said he is determined to close the "protective umbrella" over such gangs and clean up the government.

The province is famous for unchecked collaboration between corrupt officials and gang leaders.

Since last year, many high-ranking officials in Shanxi have been brought down by the anti-corruption drive, including Jin Daoming, former vice Party secretary of the province.

According to Shanxi public security department, the province busted 137 mafia-style and criminal gangs last year, arresting of 973 suspects.