BEIJING - China's Ministry of Public Security has vowed to crack down on domestic and foreign online gambling organizations as a number of football gambling websites were discovered online following the start of the World Cup in South Africa.

"Currently, police departments at all levels should focus on the World Cup and keep close watch on domestic and foreign online gambling groups. Dig deep for the violators behind them, seize evidence and give a hard blow to online football gambling," urged Vice-Minister Huang Ming at a meeting on Tuesday.

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Figures from the ministry show that Chinese police shut down 1,461 foreign gambling web sites in less than one week after the start of the 2010 World Cup.

"Gambling, drugs and prostitution are still rampant in some areas, causing civilians to issue strong complaints... In some places, these wrongdoings have even been conducted in board daylight." Huang added.

According to Huang, law enforcement agencies at all levels will focus on entertainment venues that host prostitution, obscene performances, group gambling and drug trafficking, and violators will be severely punished.

The ministry also ordered law enforcement agencies to strictly monitor local police and punish those who are slack in stopping these illegal activities in their own regions.

Also at the meeting, the ministry announced a nationwide campaign on the control of guns, scheduled to end this September, in a bid to prevent gun-related crimes.