37 criminal suspects in Angola sent back to China

BEIJING - A total of 37 suspects involved in violent crimes targeting Chinese in Angola of west Africa were sent back to China under police escort Saturday.

They arrived in Beijing by air on Saturday morning.

Suspects involved in serious crimes of violence against Chinese citizens in Angola are escorted to get off the plane after arriving in Beijing on Sunday. [Photo/Xinhua]

The suspects, all of Chinese nationality, were allegedly involved in kidnapping, robbery, blackmail, human trafficking and forcing women into prostitution, said the statement from the Ministry of Public Security.

Chinese police sent a special team to Angola and, with the cooperation of local police, they cracked 12 criminal organizations and 48 criminal cases, rescuing 14 Chinese victims, the statement said.

The victims also returned to China on the same flight.

It was the first time Chinese police launched a large-scale action against crimes targeting Chinese in Africa, setting a new example of cooperation with African police, said Liu Ancheng, head of the criminal division under the ministry, at the airport.

Early this year, the ministry received a request from Chinese Embassy to Angola to help curb violent crimes targeting nationals in the African state since last year.

During the visit of Angolan Minister of Interior Sebastiao Jose Antonio Martins to China in April, Chinese Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu reached an agreement with him on sending police to help solve the problem.

According to investigations, a number of Chinese nationals were involved in serious crimes and handed out extreme brutality such as beating, burning victims after pouring gasoline on them and burying victims alive, to extract ransoms. Some were found taking young women to Angola and forcing them into prostitution.

In August, more than 400 Angolan police officers and Chinese police teams launched a joint raid against the gangs and arrested the suspects.

Also, local police arrested 24 accomplices in Fujian and Anhui provinces.

Police are confident and capable of improving law enforcement cooperation with foreign counterparts and protecting the safety of its citizens abroad, Liu said.