Chinese mainland police Monday transferred two Taiwanese fugitives, suspected of crimes including murder and endangering Taiwan's public security, to police authorities on the island.

It is the latest cooperative cross-Strait law enforcement move since the mainland and Taiwan signed an agreement promoting joint efforts against crime and judicial assistance in 2009.

Hsu Wuhsiang, an alleged gang leader in Taiwan, and a man thought to be his second in command Lin Tsaisheng, were carrying a gun and bullets when they were arrested in a recent police raid in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, the mainland police said.

Hsu and Lin, along with others, are suspected of carrying out dozens of armed robberies in Taiwan between 2000 and 2005. They are also being investigated for the kidnap for ransom of noted public figures in Taiwan, the mainland police cited their Taiwanese counterparts as saying.

The list of allegations against the two, both 48, includes endangering public security, murder, offenses against personal liberty and fraud. They were put on the wanted list by Taiwanese law enforcers in January 2005.

It is thought that they then fled to the mainland and continued to intimidate Taiwanese residents by phone calls and blackmail, with the aim of extortion of money.

Taiwanese police have asked the mainland for arrest and hand-over of the two fugitives.

Police across the Taiwan Strait have joined hands in the fight against telecom fraud, drug trafficking, kidnap, smuggling and other crimes since the 2009 agreement was signed.

More than 180 suspects, including major fugitives wanted by Taiwan, have been transferred to the island, the mainland police said.

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