China arrests 70 gangsters in Tibet-Xinhua

BEIJING, July 21 (Reuters) Chinese police have arrested 70 alleged gang members in the remote region of Tibet, charging them with crimes ranging from gambling to drug trafficking, the official Xinhua news agency said today.

Police in Xigaze, in western Tibet, rounded up 64 of the alleged gang members on Tuesday, later tracking down the gang's ringleader, Li Nianbing, and another five suspects.

Police seized weapons including steel pipes and knives, along with drugs and account books logging more than 3 million yuan (396,000 dollars) in illegal loans, Xinhua said.

Xinhua cited local police as saying Li and his gang had started their activities earlier this year.

China has been stepping up its crackdown against organised crime, with a campaign last year netting more than 1,300 gangs, several of which had been protected by government officials.

A court in the eastern province of Anhui earlier this month gave the death sentence to the head of a juvenile gang responsible for the rape of more than 40 girls.

Also this month, a court in northern Hebei province jailed a village mayor for 20 years for running a mafia-like gang whose members were convicted of charges including extortion, illegal possession of firearms, bribing officials, operating prostitution rings and racketeering.

REUTERS GP BD1608