Uprooting "protective umbrellas" key to battling organized crime: CCDI

BEIJING - China's graft busters have asked for more efforts in the investigation and punishment of "protective umbrellas" -- officials who shelter criminal organizations by concealing their crimes and shielding them from punishment -- in a campaign against organized crime.

According to a guideline released by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and made public Tuesday, discipline agencies should dig into each of the cases involving "protective umbrellas" to uproot them and corrupt officials.

Cases of party cadres and civil servants involved in gang crime and corruption should be strictly punished, the CCDI said.

Problems involving local Party committees and governments, political and legal organs and other related departments that fail to serve the campaign should also be seriously dealt with, according to the guideline.

It was announced in a document released by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Jan 24 that a campaign against organized crime and officials who shelter criminal organizations would begin.

The fight will focus on industries and areas prone to gang crime, organized crimes that prompt the "strongest public reaction" and those "detested" by the people, the document said.