BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan police recently repatriated 125 individuals suspected of involvement in telecom fraud, who had been apprehended during earlier crackdown operations, to China, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said on Thursday.

These suspects were repatriated on March 29 with the support of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka and Chinese police, according to the MPS.

The joint operation was a result of deepened international law enforcement cooperation between Chinese and Sri Lankan police to intensify crackdown efforts on cross-border telecom fraud, the MPS said.

Since the beginning of this year, police of the two countries have stepped up cooperation in response to the notable trend of some individuals involved in telecom fraud and related underground industries relocating from other countries to Sri Lanka.

Recently, Sri Lankan police carried out multiple crackdown operations, dismantled several fraud dens, and apprehended a number of individuals involved in telecom fraud, the MPS said.

Public security organs in central China's Hubei Province, which participated in the repatriation work, are investigating the cases.

An MPS official pledged to continue enhancing law enforcement cooperation with more countries, and to jointly establish a pragmatic and efficient new framework for cracking down on transnational crimes. ■