Chinese Police Stage Massive Crime Sweep

Chinese police arrested more than 590,000 suspects and seized some 1.2 million firearms in a three-month crime sweep this spring, an official report said Tuesday.

Authorities have intensified their campaign to curb violent crime to forestall trouble before Hong Kong reverts to Chinese rule July 1, the newspaper Legal Daily said.

Of the 590,000 people arrested, 23,000 were prison escapees and 131 belonged to criminal syndicates, the report said.

The crackdown also led to the closing of 14,000 illegal dance halls, saunas, massage parlors and other sex trade establishments, it said.

China also is in the midst of a nationwide anti-drug sweep that has resulted in thousands of arrests and dozens of executions.