BEIJING — Police across China will further tighten the crackdown on crimes involving wildlife animals, a public security official said at a news conference on Feb 27.

Public security organs should fight against crimes involving rare and endangered wild animals and wildlife with important ecological, scientific and social values according to current criminal law and wildlife protection law, said Liu Xuejun, deputy head of the food and drug crime investigation bureau of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

Noting that the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Feb 24 adopted a decision on thoroughly banning the illegal trading of wildlife and eliminating the consumption of wild animals to safeguard people's lives and health, Liu said the MPS is working out a guideline with other law enforcement agencies to implement the decision and related laws.

The hunting, trading and transportation of terrestrial wild animals that naturally grow and breed in the wild for consumption shall also be completely prohibited, according to the decision, and illegal consumption and trade of wildlife shall be severely punished.

Chinese police have investigated 776 criminal cases and 1,804 administrative cases and punished 2,556 people for illegal activities related to wildlife during the coronavirus outbreak, said Liu, adding that the police investigated 13,000 cases related to wildlife in 2019.

The police will carry out special operations targeting wildlife crime, Liu said.