Police in Heyuan of Guangdong Province are launching a crackdown amid rumors of 10 child abductions in 10 days, a figure they dispute.

"Local police will gear up efforts to fight child abductors and traffickers as well as rumormongers," said Miao Yuandong, an official with the Heyuan municipal public security bureau.

"Our city public security bureau has verified and is investigating three cases of child abduction and trafficking since the beginning of this year. However, the rumors about rampant child abduction have shocked and alarmed people in the city."

He said the fact the three cases have not been solved, plus a recent rumor that more than 1,000 children have been abducted and trafficked in the Pearl River Delta city of Dongguan, may have triggered a similar rumor in Heyuan.

One of the three children were abducted in mid-February while the other two were abducted early this month, with the oldest being 11, Miao said.

According to a recent report in Guangzhou-based New Express, more than 20 men and women took to the streets in mid-April, claiming that more than 1,000 children had been abducted since 2007 and offering 10 million yuan ($1.4 million)in rewards for help in finding the children. However, local police in Dongguan disagree on the number of child abduction cases.

According to a police officer who identified himself as He, Dongguan police have seen 80 child abduction cases since 2006, 43 of which have been solved, with 50 kids rescued. This year, the city has seen six such cases and cleared up four.

(China Daily April 28, 2009)