Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun on March 28 called for those fighting oil-related crimes to safeguard the security of energy and the environment as well as the public.

The Ministry of Public Security has launched a new round of measures against oil theft, the ministry announced at a teleconference on March 28.

Working with oil and gas enterprises, public security agencies have targeted oil theft in 12 provincial-level regions.

Enterprises that receive stolen oil will be shut down, and people involved will be investigated and punished accordingly, said the ministry.

Police in Shandong, Tianjin and Hebei handled over 120 criminal cases related to oil in a joint action that started in late February, apprehending more than 220 suspects and closing down around 100 factories.

Achievements have been made as the ministry began has annual action on oil theft in 2002. In 2015, with a pipeline network four times longer than that of 2002, the number of oil theft is less than 3 percent of that in 2002, the ministry said.

Given the huge pipeline network, criminal activities have threatened the environment as well as people’s safety, according to the ministry.

Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun called for those fighting oil-related crimes to safeguard the security of energy and the environment as well as the public.