Crackdown on illicit entry-exit agencies pays off

Beijing police have so far closed down 29 illegal intermediate organizations engaged in entry and exit businesses, cracked five related cases and detained 13 suspects during a nationwide clean-up campaign, according to the Ministry of Public Security on Monday.

Han Yusheng, deputy director of the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of the ministry, said the campaign, starting from March 25,aims to crack down on illicit intermediate agencies providing services for people who want to go abroad for living, study at their own expenses, obtaining employment, making a tour or offering labor services.

"These illicit organizations, driven by high profits, help people go abroad by fabricating or reselling fake documents, which has seriously undermined the exit and entry management," Han said.

"Some charge their customers dearly, but cannot realize their commitments, which also severely violates the legal rights of citizens," he said.

Scheduled to end on June 25, the campaign mainly targets intermediate agencies without official authorization, or without capital, formal offices and institutions, as well as overseas organizations in China involved in illegal entry-exit intermediate services.

"Those who deceive the public through boastful ads or who organize illegal labor exports through phony labor or tourism projects will receive the most rigid punishment," Han said.

Statistics show that law enforcement departments in east China's Fujian Province have so far shut down 68 illegal intermediate companies, cracked 12 cases involving 1.85 million yuan (223,700 US dollars) and seized 20 suspects during the campaign.

Public security departments of east China's Jiangsu Province have cracked 18 cases, seized 17 suspects and retrieved 12 million yuan (1.45 million US dollars) in economic losses.

Police in east China's Shandong province also closed 21 unlawful intermediate companies and confiscated 260,000 yuan (31,440 US dollars) of illicit earnings.

In addition, law enforcement departments of northeast China's Liaoning province have also dealt with six cases involving 5 million yuan (604,600 US dollars), confiscating 310,000 yuan (some37,490 US dollars) and retrieving 1.11 million yuan (134,220 US dollars) of losses.

The Chinese government has always shown special concern for the entry and exit management, trying to prevent and crack down on illicit migration via continuous legislative development. Meanwhile, departments of education, labor and social security, commerce, tourism as well as public security have also issued many specific administrative measures to standardize the intermediate market, Han said.

He reminded the public of applying directly to responsible departments for going abroad instead of turning to intermediate organizations, as procedures have been more and more simplified.

Source: Xinhua