Beijing police has stepped up efforts to prevent terror-related activities by introducing a reward system for informers, among others. (Photo : www.china.org.cn)
More than 600,000 yuan ($93,900) were received by some 500 Beijing residents as reward for providing tips about terror-related crimes, less than a year after the reward system was launched in March 2014, the Beijing police announced Tuesday, Nov. 24.
According to Beijing police, they have recently rewarded three citizens who provided tips, calling for the public to help fight terrorism.
On Thursday, Nov. 19, a resident got a 3,000-yuan reward for providing information on a bomb threat after reading online posts about suspected bombs.
The Beijing-based newspaper the Mirror reported that one suspect was detained by police based on the tip and placed the suspect in criminal detention for disorderly conduct.
The police said that another two Beijing residents were rewarded 3,000 yuan each for giving information about a terror-related activity. According to police, one of the informers noticed a possible provocation during a major event, while the other reported a suspicious-looking person.
The Mirror did not give further details about the case.
The reward system was implemented on March 1, 2014 and encourages citizens to report to police in person, by phone or online about the activities of any organizations or individuals planning or instigating terror-related crimes.
The authorities said they plan to increase the reward money to important or timely tips and are working to enhance promotion on counter-terrorism, the Mirror reported.
Following the recent terror attack in Paris, China's police chief Guo Shengkun has ordered "strengthened patrols and intelligence gathering," a statement on the Ministry of Public Security's official website said.
"Guo Shengkun ordered further strengthening of anti-terrorism intelligence analysis so as to perform precision strikes," the statement said.
According to the ministry, police must also "focus on efforts to destroy violent terrorist activities before they happen," adding that the fight against terrorism was equivalent to "a people's war."
"We must maintain a high level of threat and pressure in anti-terrorism work, and continue to strike hard at violent terrorists, crushing their arrogance," the ministry said.
