Shanghai's public Security Bureau has urged residents to report suspected foreign criminals as part of a campaign to crack down on tricksters.

The bureau said criminals are invariably working in groups at different public venues.

Tricksters can often be found at airports pouring juice onto a person's clothes and then pretending to help wipe the stains away.

They then take advantage of the situation and steal the victim's belongings.

The bureau said criminals target careless customers at banks by exchanging their suitcases with similar ones when the customer is attending to banking business.

Police allege criminals are also pestering cashiers in different languages at restaurants and shops before they take money from behind the counter.

Police made the plea to report criminals following the arrest of 25 foreigners who are suspected of being involved in a large diamond theft.

Releasing more details about the diamond case, local authorities warned criminals can expect to be punished according to Chinese law.

"If they commit a crime in China, we must deal with the case in accordance with Chinese law through a proper legal process," said Kong Xianming, vice director of the bureau.

Kong did not say when the suspected diamond thieves would go to trial or what punishment they could receive.

The bag of diamonds thought to be valued at US$690,000 was stolen from ShanghaiMart on May 13.

The robbery occurred on the first day of the 4th Shanghai International Jewelry Fair.

The case attracted the attention of high ranking officials in the city, said Zhang Jiaying, spokeswoman of the city Public Security Bureau.

"A special task force was immediately set up and police officers were permanently stationed at ShanghaiMart to conduct a thorough investigation," she added.

Officials highlighted the cooperation between the local police and their Hong Kong counterparts in solving the case.

Kong said, "In response to our request, Hong Kong police provided personal details about some South American suspects involved in another case in Hong Kong last May."

That case also involved a theft at a jewelry fair.

This information was crucial in helping city police target the suspects.

"Locals including taxi drivers and hotel employees also played a vital role in catching the foreign suspects," said Kong.

On Monday night police started rounding up the 25 suspects who come from different parts of South America.

The prime suspect, a Mexican man named Hernandez Gomez Sebastian, was captured at the Da Hua Hotel in Jing'an District.

"When police apprehended him, the suspect tried to abandon a small bag containing all the stolen diamonds," said police.

(eastday.com May 22, 2004)