BEIJING, Feb. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The China Banking Regulatory Commission has issued a special circular urging all banks and financial institutions to tighten supervision and management of fund exchanges in a fresh effort to support the current nationwide crackdown on gambling.

    "Chinese banking bodies should not install operational branches at gambling sites abroad or offer Internet-based services for any form of gambling activities," said Li Wei, vice director of the banking watchdog, quoted by Thursday's Beijing Daily Messgener.

    According to him, the commission will set up special mechanisms to blacklist abnormal accounts suspected of being involved in gambling and monitor information related to abnormal fund transactions.

    "In the past year, China's banking institutions have cooperated well with other authorities in investigating suspected websites, accounts, banking cards and fund exchanges to find gambling evidence," Li said.

    Fund transfer for gambling, especially Internet-based gambling, is generally done through bank accounts.

    In Beijing, the local police has found 22 accounts at five banks involved in eight newly-unearthed Internet gambling cases, in which 36 suspects and 30 computers were seized. Enditem