Chinese police have detained more than 3,470 suspects this year in a harsh crackdown on Internet pornography.

The Ministry of Public Security said Friday that more than 1.25 million items of on-line lewd content and nearly 7,000 pornographic websites and columns were eliminated from the Internet this year. The police also cracked more than 3,500 erotic cases.

The ministry said they also busted several large-scale overseas pornographic website alliances, and detained more than 500 staff working on the mainland.

A new round of harsh crackdown on spreading pornographic content through Internet or mobile WAP sites, was initiated earlier this month through next May, to purify social environment and protect minors' mental health, the government said.