WUHAN, May 13 -- Chinese police have busted a national network of nearly 2,000 people who were paid to scrub articles from websites that clients, including local officials, disapproved of.
Police in Qichun County, Hubei Province, said Wednesday the ring hacked blogs and online forums or colluded with site administrators to remove unfavorable content.
The ring conducted business under the name "Crisis PR" and earned a total of 50 million yuan (8 mln U.S. dollars).
The ring's customers included companies, officials and ordinary citizens. A file found in a confiscated computer revealed they had deleted 52 posts for a county party secretary in Shanxi Province, with charges of 300 to 2,000 yuan for each removal.
Qichun police said they were tipped off about the case last year and have so far arrested ten suspects. The hunt for other suspects is under way.
J-11 fighters in air exercise
Beauties dancing on the rings
Attendants-to-be join Mr. & Miss Campus Contest
Beijing's toughest anti-smoking law takes effect
Family lives in cave for about 50 years in SW China
PLA soldiers operating vehicle-mounted guns in drill
Blind carpenter in E China's Jiangxi
China hosts overseas disaster relief exercise for the first time
20 pairs of twins who will become flight attendants in Sichuan
Obama is sowing discontent in S.China Sea
Rescuers work through night to reach cruise ship survivors
Driving through limbo
Facing down MERSDay|Week
