China's Ministry of Public Security launched Tuesday a special campaign against fake banknote crimes after high-quality fake notes were found ahead of the shopping-spree Spring Festival holiday.

The nationwide campaign of "Action 09" aims at cracking down on crimes of producing, selling and spending fake notes, especially in 10 major provinces including Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang, said vice-minister of public security Liu Jinguo, at a national teleconference on Tuesday.

"We will encourage the public to inform on fake notes and gather case clues as many as possible," Liu said.

During the 10-month campaign, whoever reports dens producing fake money will be rewarded with 300,000 yuan (44,000 US dollars).

People who inform against fugitives of notes crimes, or report cases of selling, transporting and purchasing fake money, will get a cash reward.

The ministry ordered public security units to give priority to detecting fake money cases, finding out sources of fake money, rooting out producing dens and destroying transport network.

The country has busted more than 4,400 fake money cases and destroyed 44 producing dens since 2006, the ministry told Xinhua.

But some new conditions had surfaced which made the work tougher, the ministry said.

Fake 100-yuan notes, most starting with serial number "HD90," have been reported in more than 10 provinces and cities.

The case aroused public concern as some low-quality money detectors failed to catch the fake notes.

To safeguard the banknote, also nicknamed as "the country's business card", joint efforts from governments, banks and media have been made over the past month.

On Monday, four men were sentenced to jail terms of up to 12 years in two separate cases over producing or spending fake money.

Last Tuesday, a farmer was sentenced to 10 months in prison and fined 15,000 yuan (2,193 U.S. dollars) for using counterfeit money.

(Xinhua News Agency January 21, 2008)