SPP launches campaign against environmental, food, drug crimes

BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) is planning a 22 month crackdown on food and drug, and environmental crimes amid heightened public concern.

The campaign will run from March to December 2016, and will see supervision agencies reviewing the case records of administrative and law enforcement organs, the SPP said on Wednesday.

The campaign will target offenses including environmental resource harm, as well as the sale and promotion of fake food and drugs, according to the SPP.

Procuratorates at all levels will also identify job-related crimes such as dereliction of duty or graft to dismantle the "protective umbrellas" that shield criminals, the SPP said.

The SPP launched a similar campaign in March last year, which lasted eight months, which saw 2,428 people prosecuted.

During the campaign prosecutors also handled 162 cases that involved 290 officials suspected of concealing crimes that jeopardized environmental resources, and food and drugs safety.