Xinjiang police officer removed from position for aiding illegal casino

The Communist Party of China (CPC) has expelled a county public security officer in Hotan, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region for helping an underground casino escape from a campaign against gang-related crimes, media affiliated to China’s top discipline watchdog reported on Monday.

The discipline inspection commission in Lop county, Hotan found that the local public security bureau’s deputy director took part in the business of an underground casino and received 130,400 yuan ($85,000) from March 2016 to August, 2017, China Discipline Inspection, a newspaper run by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC, reported on Monday. He was also removed from his position. The official was found taking bribes from private business owners to make it more convenient for their illegal businesses to operate. He reportedly provide information to the underground casino and helped it avoid government’s campaign against gang-related crimes.

“As a Party member, he failed to fulfill his responsibilities in the campaign but covered the gangs and became their protective umbrella… the people detested the behavior,” an official from the local discipline inspection commission was quoted in the report as saying.

He added there is no place for such officials and they must be removed from the Party.

Xinjiang has dealt with 46 cases on officials and Party members’ involvement in gang-related crimes or as protective umbrellas, and 77 people were punished since the campaign began.

Xinjiang began its campaign in January, ts.cn reported.