In gambling crackdowns last year, China uncovered 361,000 gambling cases, arrested 1.13 million gamblers, busted 20,000 gambling rings and confiscated 2.07 billion yuan (about 289 million U.S. dollars), the Ministry of Public Security said here on Wednesday.

In a notice on its website, the ministry said it had launched crackdown campaigns on such aspects as gambling activities around border areas, Internet-based gambling, illegal private lotteries, gambling events and illegal casinos.

In November, the Ministry of Public Security, together with nine others ministries, launched a national campaign against on-line gambling. The campaign started in December and runs through May.

In the northeast Liaoning Province, the local government cracked down on 106 Mark Six-related cases and destroyed 281 sites. More than 62 million yuan was retrieved.

To further fight gambling, China's 20 ministries have set up a ministry joint-work committee headed by the Ministry of Public Security. It will cooperate with other countries and the international police organization Interpol.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2008)