Nineteen suspects have been arrested after China launched a campaign against "cultural swindlers" last year, the Ministry of Supervision (MOS) said on Sunday.

Last year, several cultural companies claimed they had relations with ministries or publishing houses to cheat others to give them money for conference fees or to buy books, the ministry said.

Eight cultural companies were found to be involved in swindling activities and 19 suspects were arrested after a joint investigation by the MOS, the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China, the Ministry of Public Security, State Administration of Industry and Commerce and the State Press and Publication Administration.

Two suspects Zhao Yong and Chen Yu of Beijing Hongrun Xingye Culture Development Company pretended they were from the organizing committee of so-called "Elite Forum of China's Industry and Commercial Circle".

Eighteen companies were cheated and paid a total of 150,000 yuan (US$20,660) to Zhao and Chen including the Beijing Donghua Hechuang Digital Co., Ltd.

The two suspects were arrested on June. 21 last year and the People's Procuratorate of Beijing's Chaoyang District began court proceedings against them on Oct. 15.

Cui Suozhu was arrested on Aug. 23 last year. Cui allegedly fabricated an approved document by the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee to the China Travel Service Head Office and asked for a commission of 260,000 yuan.

Hu Yuanjun posed as a member of staff at the tax bureau and told several companies in Haidian District they had to subscribe to tax reference books valued at over one million yuan. All these books were later found to be illegal publications.

Hu was arrested and handed over to People's Procuratorate of Haidian District on Oct. 26.

(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2008)