A machine harvests ripe wheat and plants summer corn in high-standard farmland in Guangrao county, East China's Shandong Province, on June 17, 2025. Photo: VCG

Since 2025, Chinese public security authorities have launched over 4,600 investigations into illegal farmland use and black soil destruction, and more than 200 cases related to counterfeit or substandard seeds and agricultural inputs, with 13 major cases directly overseen by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), according to a post by the ministry on Tuesday. 

The post noted that in recent years, local police across China have launched sustained special operation campaigns targeting agricultural crimes, including illegal land occupation, destruction of black soil, and the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit agricultural products, achieving significant results.

The public security authorities are implementing the strictest farmland protection regulations, focusing on illegal land use, soil theft and over-extraction, counterfeit or illegally reproduced seeds, hidden additives in pesticides, and insufficient nutrient content in fertilizers. Targeted operations aim to disrupt criminal networks and dismantle illegal supply chains, according to the post.

Leveraging a "professional + mechanism + big data" approach, the MPS has developed an integrated monitoring and early-warning platform spanning land, air, and space. Coordinated efforts with other government departments are guiding regional joint operations in key agricultural provinces, covering grain production and distribution, seed cultivation, and agricultural input management, the post stated. 

An official from the MPS emphasized in the post that China's public security authorities are fully committed to protecting nation's food security, encouraging the public to report any crimes affecting agricultural resources. 

The post also released nine typical cases of food security crimes, including black soil peat theft, illegal farmland occupation, and the production or sale of counterfeit and substandard seeds and fertilizers. Suspects have been prosecuted, arrested, or placed under other criminal enforcement measures.

Global Times