Police have set up a computer system along China's railway network allowing officers to compare the faces of suspicious passers-by to an electronic database of mugshots, in a crackdown ahead of next week's national holiday.

The hi-tech system has helped capture 39 suspected criminals during the last five days in Beijing alone, a report said Friday.

This week, passengers coming into and departing Beijing Station have passed through numerous checkpoints with anyone deemed to be acting or looking suspicious taken to a computer terminal linked to a network of wanted law breakers.

At least four such terminals were installed in the plaza in front of Beijing Station as the National Day holiday rush began building up.

Suspects were lined up and compared to photographs and other information on thousands of wanted criminals from around China.

"This system is a nationwide system that has really helped us capture suspected criminals and escaped felons," a policeman said, as he shooed curious onlookers away from the computer terminal.

According to Friday's Beijing Youth Daily, 39 suspected criminals had been captured at Beijing Station in the last five days, including one man suspected of extorting around 720,000 yuan (US$95,000) from a company in 1994.

The system was put into operation ahead of the week-long holiday beginning October 1, during which an estimated 64 million are expected to be traveling across China.

(China Daily 09/28/2001)