1,069 illegal guns seized in Guangdong 'Blue Arrow' raid  

广东警方开展“缉枪”行动 3天收缴枪1069支

Police in South China's Guangdong province show illegal guns they have seized. (Photo: Guangzhou Daily)

(ECNS) -- Police in South China's Guangdong province have seized 1,069 illegal guns and captured 885 suspects during a crackdown on crimes involving firearms and explosives.

The raid codenamed "Blue Arrow" from Nov 28 to 30 also nabbed 15 fugitives involved in gun crimes, 331,516 bullets, and 4,528 imitation guns, the Guangzhou Daily reported on Friday.

Li Shihua, vice chief of criminal investigation with the Guangdong police, said the guns were mainly confiscated from regions where hunting is popular, as well as places with thriving hardware manufacturing industries.

The robust growth of e-commerce and the well-developed logistics industry in the Pearl River Delta have also contributed to online sales of illegal guns, the newspaper said.

More than a thousand of the guns were handed over by their owners after warnings from police, which also offered rewards for tip-offs in the campaign.

By Nov 25, Guangdong police had cracked more than 3,000 cases of gun-related crimes and hunted down 867 outlaws. Police said they will focus on crimes involving guns, drugs, gangs, and online gun sales in the next phase.

Under Chinese law, the public is banned from owning firearms and explosives. The police have conducted several campaigns to seize illegal weapons in recent years.