China prosecutes 1,919 suspects involved in epidemic-related crimes

A total of 1,919 people in 1,561 cases have been prosecuted in China over criminal offenses related to the COVID-19 epidemic, said the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

Among them, 18 people were indicted for impairing infectious disease prevention, 506 for obstructing official business, 132 for manufacturing or selling fake or inferior products such as substandard drugs or medical equipment, 11 for engaging in illegal business operations including price gouging, and 265 for damaging wildlife resources such as hunting illegally, killing or selling precious or endangered wild animals and their products, the SPP said.

Other violations include intentional injuries, fraud, and the fabrication and intentional transmission of false information, it added.