A crackdown on crimes related to dangerous explosives and hazardous chemicals has been launched until the end of next month, the Ministry of Public Security said in a Saturday circular on its website.

Illegal production, trading, mailing, transportation and storage of dangerous explosives, highly toxic chemicals and flammable chemicals is strictly banned, according to the interdepartmental circular.

The circular said people who have illegal explosives and chemicals in their possession that hand in the substances voluntarily to local police by October 31 will receive mitigation or exemption from punishment for the act, while those who refuse to abide by the law will be severely punished.

The public is encouraged to report clues to related crimes and will receive certain rewards if the information is verified.

Several high-profile explosive-related crimes have drawn wide concern this year, including the terrorism attack in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in April, when 15 people were killed, and the blast at a Beijing airport in July by a wheelchair-bound petitioner.

Crimes involving explosives have decreased markedly in the country, with numbers of such cases dropping by 22.9 percent annually from 2000 to 2012.

Global Times - Xinhua