China ramps up crackdown on illegal border crossings for gambling, fraud activities overseas

BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's National Immigration Administration has vowed to ramp up its crackdown on illegal border crossings associated with gambling and fraudulent activities occurring overseas.

According to the administration, in recent years, illegal gambling and fraud rings based overseas have seduced and organized Chinese citizens to illegally cross the national border for the purpose of engaging in criminal activities, which has threatened the lives and property of the people involved.

Efforts will be made to step up border inspection, particularly for exits, to detect and stop suspects in a timely manner, Lin Yongsheng, spokesperson for the administration, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Severe measures will be taken against illegal activities involving producing and selling counterfeit entry and exit documents, Lin said.

Border security and patrols will be strengthened to block the channels for transporting personnel or supplies involved in illegal gambling and fraudulent activities, Lin noted.

In the meantime, various publicity measures, including putting up posters, displaying educational videos, and publicizing typical cases, are to be used to raise awareness among the public, he added.