Nineteen Taiwan people were returned to the island from the Chinese mainland on Tuesday on charges of fraud, illegal entry and drug trafficking.

Fourteen of the suspects, belonging to six gangs, were detained by police in Fujian Province, in southeast China, during the so-called "Fox Hunting" campaign this year in connection with swindling more than 2.8 million yuan (US$370,000).

They have pleaded guilty to defrauding many Taiwan residents of their money and property by pretending to be officials of banks, post offices, police and mobile phone companies.

The other five were found guilty of entering the mainland illegally and drug trafficking.

The 19 suspects arrived at Mazu Island off the east coast of Fujian at about 10 AM on Tuesday from Fuzhou, capital of Fujian, by ship and were handed over to the Taiwan authorities.

The ship took two men who hijacked a passenger plane from the mainland to Taiwan in 1993 back to Fuzhou at around 1 PM on the return trip.

The return operations were carried out in accordance with the Jinmen Agreement, which was signed in 1990 between Red Cross organizations on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2007)