970 prosecuted in China for sheltering gangs in first three quarters

BEIJING -- A total of 970 people were prosecuted during the first three quarters for being "protective umbrellas" for gang crimes, up 458 percent year on year, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said on Oct 30.

Procuratorial organs nationwide approved the arrest of 637 people suspected of sheltering gangs during the period, tripling the number from the same time last year.

In addition, the SPP noted that procuratorial organs handled 5,170 cases concerning wage defaults for migrant workers, with 1,902 people prosecuted for refusing to pay their employees.

The SPP also said it will start publishing data on prosecutorial work on a quarterly basis in the future.