BEIJING – Chinese police have dismantled more than 1,000 criminal groups and arrested over 8,200 suspects in a nationwide operation targeting organized crime, particularly groups using increasingly covert and evolving tactics, the Ministry of Public Security said on Monday.

The operation also uncovered more than 5,400 criminal cases nationwide, the ministry said.

In recent years, Chinese police have maintained a tough stance against organized crime, effectively curbing such offenses and contributing to a continued improvement in public security. However, some criminal groups have used online platforms and non-violent forms of coercion to carry out crimes and expand rapidly, according to the ministry.

New forms of organized crime, including online predatory lending schemes, coercive consumption and cyberbullying, have become increasingly prominent in recent years.

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The ministry pledged to continue taking the initiative against organized crime, swiftly cracking down on criminal groups as they emerge and organizing regular nationwide operations to combat such offenses.

China has seen a decline in crime in recent years, while people's sense of safety has continued to rise. Official data show that the number of criminal cases nationwide fell 12.8 percent year on year in 2025 to the lowest level since 2000, while public security cases declined 3.5 percent.