BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- A total of 136 suspects involved in telecom frauds were sent back to China from Laos on Tuesday, the Ministry of Public Security said.

The suspects were detained in a joint operation between Chinese and Lao police from Sept. 19 to 27, the ministry said in a press release.

During the operation, police raided 15 locations and broke 18 telecom fraud rings, seizing money and properties worth more than 21 million yuan (2.97 million U.S. dollars), the ministry statement said.

According to the police investigation, the suspects were involved in a series of fraud cases happening in China this year, in which victims were approached through dating websites, live streaming services and chatting apps and lured into fake investment projects and lotteries.

The ministry pledged to continue cracking down on telecom frauds and sharpen its capacity of handling international cases.