More than 6 million pirated items had been confiscated by Chinese police by the end of August as part of a 100-day crackdown on piracy, according to the Ministry of Public Security yesterday.

Local police had raided more than 32,000 publication markets and distribution businesses and closed down 355 companies engaged in the business of illegally copied material, said a report by the ministry.

Starting on July 25 the campaign was said to be unprecedented in terms of its duration and number of government departments involved. Copyright officials played a major part in the operation.? But cases involving particularly large amounts of pirated goods are being handled by police. The ministry didn't explain details of the criteria for police involvement.

Police were said to have cracked 780 cases. Three hideouts with more than 286,000 illegal CDs and DVDs were demolished in Fuyang City, east China's Anhui Province. More than 20,000 pirated books were seized in a print house in Liaocheng City, east China's Shandong Province. Police in east China's Jiangsu Province also stopped a criminal gang who'd set up a provincial sales network, seizing 21 suspects and more than 200,000 illegal CDs and DVDs.

(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency September 11, 2006)