A team of more than 800 policemen raided a village in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province and arrested a gang of 25 people, suspected of drug trafficking and kidnappings.

Police recovered three shotguns from the gang's hideout in Bojiao village in the city's Lianjiang township.

The two-hour raid started at 5 am on Wednesday when the police surrounded the village following a tip off.

The raid was part of a citywide crackdown on the illegal possession of firearms that the authorities launched on Nov 20 and will last till the end of March next year.

The police said they were targeting those localities "with a bad criminal record".

"We are continuing raids on regions that lie between the urban and rural areas, entertainment lounges and large-scale wholesale markets," police said.

About 4,300 policemen joined the first raid on Nov 29, seizing 150 non-military weapons and 2,860 bullets after searching more than 1,760 villages and areas.

At least 200 suspects were arrested, including 16 criminals at large, the police bureau said. Police said a large number of firearms they had seized were made on the basis of drawings available on the Internet.

In most cases, drug traffickers, owners of entertainment venues involved in illegal activities and professional debt collectors kept the homemade guns.