Authorities in south China's Guangdong Province on Tuesday announced the launch of an official probe into a senior policeman who allegedly owns 192 houses and has double national identity cards.

The Communist Party of China (CPC)'s discipline inspection authorities in Lufeng City, Guangdong, made the decision to investigate as the CPC committee in Lufeng demanded the case of Zhao Haibin, a senior police official in Lufeng, be investigated thoroughly and handled as quickly as possible.

Zhao acknowledged he had had double IDs and been a legal representative of a buildings materials company. But he denied he had 192 houses as reported by whistle-blowers.

He said these properties had been jointly developed by his brother and others, and had later all been sold on. Zhao claimed he was just a "supervisor" of the properties.

The police official said all his houses were in Guangdong.

As of Tuesday, Zhao retained his posts as member of the CPC committee of Lufeng City's Public Security Bureau and deputy Party chief of a local town.