The three cases involved robbery, kidnapping and financial fraud. The details were released after Wu Zhiming, director of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, met Tsang Yam-Pui, commissioner of police of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, on June 10, jointly vowing to enhance cooperation between the two cities.

The jewelry robbery was acclaimed as "a classic."

On July 17 last year, two clerks at a jewelry store were robbed of diamonds worth of HK$20 million (US$2.4 million) while doing a promotion in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay. Three suspects, from Maoming in Guangdong Province, were nabbed by Hong Kong police, while the kingpin, a 36-year-old Hong Kong woman called Tong Zhizhi, sneaked into Shanghai with most of the stolen diamonds.

"After receiving tips from Hong Kong and Guangdong police, our investigators spread a dragnet in the city, though it was difficult at first since we only knew that Tong's ex-husband used to run a textile mill in Qingpu District," said Yang Ye, a spokeswoman for the bureau.

The search started in Qingpu, and then spread to more than 300 jewelry stores, house agencies and hotels nearby. On August 23, police netted Tong, who was preparing to lunch with relatives in Minhang District.

Tong was given a life sentence by a Maoming court in April.

The fraud case involved Chen Yongyang, also a Hong Kong citizen, who was linked with seven cases of using fake credit cards in Hong Kong. He fled to Shanghai where he continued his scheme. Chen was caught last August.

The kidnap case dated to June 2001, and police in Shanghai and Hong Kong worked together in successfully pushing the kidnappers to release the victim alive.

In a bizarre cross-country case, the abduction took place in Brazil; one of the suspects was from Shanghai and the ransom was ordered to be handed over in Hong Kong.

"Shanghai and Hong Kong have had increasing cultural and trade ties in recent years. But we have also found many crimes that are linked," said Yang.

Police said in recent years they have solved 70-plus cases involving Hong Kong citizens, and more than 80 suspects were nabbed. The crimes mainly pertained to financial fraud, drug trafficking and violence.

"We have helped Hong Kong police investigate more than 100 cases with tips they offered. We have also received their help in more than 70 cases," Yang said.

(eastday.com June 19, 2003)