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The Chinese public security authorities prosecuted more than 70,000 cases and detained more than 90,000 suspects during a special action against wild animal-related crimes from 2020 to 2022, the Global Times learned from the Public Security Ministry of China on Friday.

During the three-year action, the Chinese public security authorities seized nearly 1.37 million wild animals and about 180,000 kilograms of wild animal products, according to the ministry.

The special action mainly focused on wildlife-related crimes for slaughter and consumption of species, wildlife-related crimes that harm precious and endangered wild animals as well as illegal hunting with guns and explosives, according to Li Jiantao, an official from the ministry.  

The ministry detailed some cases they had prosecuted  across the country during the three-year action. For example, in October 2022, police officers in Ningde, East China's Fujian Province, disrupted an illegal hunting group, seizing 151 suspects and 1,303 electronic hunting equipment. 

In Ya'an, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, police smashed an illegal chain of hunting and trading macaques, rescuing 230 macaques, including 46 wild animals which are classed among China's national second-level protected wild animals.  

The ministry also enhanced international cooperation in the past three years, handling 109 wildlife-related cases linked to foreign countries.

The ministry had also strengthened operations linked to food and drug safety as well as intellectual property with 116,000 suspects being detained during the past three years, according to the ministry.