Both Liang Guoju, director-general of the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Public Security, and Eddie Hui Kei-on, commissioner of the Hong Kong Police Force, recently promised to conduct more joint operations, when needed, to fight organized crime groups that try to do business on both sides of the border separating the two regions.

Liang said Guangdong police plan to expand co-operation in criminal investigations and information exchanges with Hong Kong police in the years ahead.

Hui arrived in Guangzhou on Saturday to discuss and seek expansion of co-operation in putting a stop to cross-border secret society activities.

Liang and Hui both were present at the official attended transfer to Hong Kong police hands of 89 containers that had illegally entered Guangdong from Hong Kong.

The containers, valued at more than HK$4 million (US$514,139), could have been used to smuggle and transport stowaways.

Last week, Guangdong police also transferred three criminals to Hong Kong police and another one to Macao police. The criminals' names had all been posted on Hong Kong and Macao wanted lists for several years.

"These transfers are evidence of the accomplishments that Guangdong police have made during their current campaign to firmly crack down on cross-border crimes," Liang said.

Since the crackdown campaign was launched in mid-November, Guangdong police have detained a total of 849 suspects in 39 criminals cases involving secret societies from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Of these suspected criminals, 46 came from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, according to Liang.

Nine of them were members of secret societies in three regions. Seven had been on police wanted lists in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Liang said a month-long joint action in 11 cities in the Pearl River Delta has dealt a heavy blow to secret gangs, which have been active in the southern Chinese region for decades.

Guangdong police have also seized a total of nine guns, 75 bullets, 139 kilograms of heroin, 117.11 kilograms of the drug known as "ice," 74 stolen vehicles, 329 stolen motorcycles and a variety of other contraband since the beginning of the campaign.

The campaign, known to police as operation "bagging fox" is aimed at ensuring a good and stable social order for the coming century.

Liang said a campaign has sent a message that Guangdong and other provinces and regions in the southern section of the mainland are not haven for criminals from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

"According to Chinese laws, the mainland authorities have every right to detain, arrest, try and punish those who are involved in any crimes on the mainland," Liang said.

Co-operation between Guangdong and Hong Kong in fighting cross-border crime began as early as 1981.

Both sides have now established a special liaison officer system and a 24-hour hotline to help streamline their efforts.

Senior police officers from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao meet annually to discuss the state of their joint efforts.

(China Daily 12/25/2000)