Angola Kicks Out China 'Gangsters'

Chinese police today brought back 37 suspected Chinese gangsters from Angola, where they were arrested for alleged crimes against other Chinese such as kidnapping, armed robbery, extortion, human trafficking, and forced prostitution. Such crimes are a major concern for China, which has become Africa's main trading partner and a major source of infrastructure investment. As a result, many Chinese work in Africa, and their presence has brought problems such as crime among Chinese, especially in politically volatile countries that provide fertile ground for criminals.

It is a sign that Chinese businesses continue to be troubled by the country's stubborn gang culture as they expand overseas. The Ministry of Public Security said the Chinese government sent a special police force to Angola in July which worked with local police to break up 12 Chinese gangs, resolve 48 criminal cases, and rescue 14 Chinese victims, most of whom had been forced into prostitution. At home, domestic police arrested 24 other people suspected of being involved in the cases, the ministry said. (More Africa stories.)