702,000 gambling suspects have been nabbed and 163,000 cases cracked since a special crackdown on gambling nationwide in early January, the Ministry of Public Security announced on Thursday.

The police authorities across China also seized RMB2.33 billion (US$281 million) in cash, as well as 77,000 computers and video game players.

Collaborative efforts of the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security led to the cracking of 70 major cases.

Of those arrested, 3,874 have been prosecuted, 1,479 have been given prison sentences, 5,115 are being re-educated through labor, and 105,000 are still in detention.

1,617 of those arrested were officials; 47 of them section chiefs or heads of government departments.

(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2005)