NANJING -- Chinese police have arrested 12 human traffickers they believe have smuggled 1,800 people out of China to countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Italy.

The 12, thought to be residents of Hai'an County in east China's Jiangsu Province, are being questioned in provincial capital Nanjing.

Six of them were caught in a Shanghai raid on Dec. 6 along with 50 hopeful emigrants and materials and equipment for making fake visas worth 12 million yuan (1.875 million U.S. dollars).

The gang charged 30,000 yuan to 180,000 yuan for each passenger. Some 90 percent of the 1,800 were men around 20 years old.