37 suspects in Angola sent back to China

A total of 37 suspects involved in violent crimes targeting Chinese people in Angola were sent back to China under police escort Saturday.

They arrived in Beijing on Saturday morning.

The suspects, all of Chinese nationality, were allegedly involved in kidnapping, robbery, blackmail, human trafficking and forcing women into prostitution, the Ministry of Public Security said.

Police sent special teams to the west African country and, with the cooperation of local police, they cracked 12 criminal organizations and 48 criminal cases, rescuing 14 Chinese victims, the ministry said.

The victims also returned home on the same flight.

It was the first time police launched a large-scale operation against crimes targeting Chinese people in Africa. The action highlights the cooperation between Chinese and African police, said Liu Ancheng, head of the criminal division under the ministry.

Early this year, the ministry received a request from Chinese Embassy to Angola to help curb violent crimes targeting nationals in the African state since last year.

During the visit of Angolan Minister of Interior Sebastiao Jose Antonio Martins to China in April, Chinese Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu reached an agreement with him on sending police to help solve the problem.

According to investigations, a number of Chinese nationals were involved in serious crimes and handed out extreme brutality such as beating, burning victims after pouring gasoline on them and burying victims alive, to extract ransoms. Some were found taking young women to Angola and forcing them into prostitution.

In August, more than 400 Angolan police officers and Chinese police teams launched a joint raid against the gangs and arrested the suspects.

Also, local police arrested 24 accomplices in Fujian and Anhui provinces.

Police are confident and capable of improving law enforcement cooperation with foreign counterparts and protecting the safety of its citizens abroad, Liu said.