Railway police busted the country's largest fake-ticket
production racket on Monday, seizing 3,019 tickets that could have
been sold for 720,000 yuan (US$92,300) and detaining four
persons.
A police officer in
Huaibei, Anhui Province, teaches students how to distinguish
between fake railway tickets and real ones earlier this
month.
Among the suspects are the gang leader and a woman.
Types by the hundreds, ink, razor blades, glue and other
equipment used to print and prepare the fake tickets were also
seized from the four-square-meter underground production unit in
Guangzhou's Yuexiu District, a railway police officer said.
The smashing of the ring is a warning to others involved in
similar rackets and should stop the sale of fake tickets,
especially during the peak travel periods of Spring Festival and
other national holidays.
But more importantly, it will stop desperate people from falling
prey to fake-ticket sellers and help ensure a safe and smooth flow
of passengers.
More than 350,000 passengers are expected to take trains from
Guangzhou daily over the next couple of weeks to return home from
Spring Festival.
Police formed a special task force on January 4 to track down
the gang members and raid their base once they were informed of a
possible ring operating in Guangzhou's Zhanxi Road near the railway
station.
A special squad of more than 30 police officers raided the
gang's production unit after gathering information and tailing the
suspects for 20 days.
(China Daily February 1, 2007)
