Guangzhou police announced a large crackdown on organized crime and government officials who shield "sinister black forces," according to the Guangzhou Daily.

Authorities said at Monday's special public order campaign they would clamp down on rampant organized crime in several sectors - transport, wholesale markets, entertainment and the construction industry, including real-estate development and building materials supply.

Zhang Guifang, Guangzhou's vice Party chief and secretary of the Guangzhou Politics and Law Committee, said the government would deal "crushing blows" to organized crime, according to the report. Zhang said police in every district would deploy plain-clothes teams to flush out criminals .

"The officers should strike hard during pursuits and shoot when necessary if armed organized criminals resist," the Daily quoted Zhang as saying.

Zhang also said the city would increase efforts to root out government officials who aided and abetted criminal gangs. The city would not tolerate officers who acted as "umbrellas" for organized crime syndicates, and judicial authorities would make the fight against police corruption a top priority, he said.

As part of the crackdown, eight people accused of seriously injuring a homeowner who organized protests against an estate property manager were arrested.

Li Gang, a member of a homeowners' committee at the Huanan New City estate, was beaten so badly a month ago that he required surgery to remove his spleen. Li claimed that attackers had been hired by the estate's management because he had protested against the company's decision to disband its shuttle bus service.

Police released names of the eight people arrested, but offered no further details. They said they were looking for three other people thought to be involved.

Guangzhou will set up a special reward fund of several million yuan to encourage more citizens to provide information about organized crime syndicates, according to Zhang.

Editor: Yan