China's police last year arrested 2,877 people for oil theft as they undermined the security of oil pipelines and oil fields, amid the nation's efforts to ensure energy safety, police authorities said on Thursday.

In a televised conference, Liu Jinguo, vice minister of the public security, said the police have probed into more than 5,200 cases threatening crude pipeline and oil field safety in the past year.

Nearly 1 billion yuan (123.4 million US dollars) was recovered for oil companies, he said.

Liu said the number of oil thefts through drilling the pipelines dropped 11.2 percent in 2005 from the year before, and the number of oil thefts through mining the oil fields slumped 49.5 percent.

Liu attributed the drop to the police's enhanced surveillance efforts, but he did not release the exact number of these crimes.

"The safety of crude oil and natural gas is linked directly to the nation's economic security and social stability," Liu said, adding that China will have more pipelines in the coming years. He also called for the establishment of a long-term mechanism to guarantee crude pipeline security.

Source: Xinhua