Twelve people have been arrested in several parts of China for making and selling devices that can cut electricity meter readings, police announced Thursday.

The police of Changchun City, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, have uncovered a ring of 10 suspected of selling the sophisticated device after receiving reports from the city's power supply company in July 2009, said a municipal police spokesman.

Five devices were found in Changchun at the home of a man surnamed Li, the alleged ring leader, the spokesman added.

Another 89 devices were found in Tianjin Municipality at the home of a man surnamed Wang whom Li bought the devices from online, he said.

Wang confessed to have sold the devices by using the Internet to customers in 22 provinces and regions across China, the spokesman added.

Police were then led to the illegal manufacturer of the devices in Xuzhou City of east China's Jiangsu Province. The factory, where 200 devices were found, was closed down with its owner, surnamed Yang, apprehended in August 2009, he added.

The twelve suspects had been transferred to the procuratorate for prosecution, he said.

The police were further investigating the case and hunting down other suspects involved in the crime, he said.

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