China's railway police have deployed a task force of more than 800 officers to trains and stations to target pickpockets and con artists who prey on passengers during the massive annual Spring Festival holiday migration.

As of Saturday, the force had dealt with 230 scams and pickpocket cases and arrested 270 people since the "Iron Eagle" campaign began on Jan. 6, said an official with the Ministry of Railways public security department on Sunday.

The officers had also broken up five criminal gangs during the campaign, the official said.

The department established a campaign headquarters in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province.

Meanwhile, railway police have set up bulletin boards at railway stations and handed out leaflets to educate passengers on travel security.

China's annual Spring Festival travel rush this year officially began on Jan. 19, and an estimated 700 million trips are expected to be made during the 40-day period.

Pickpocketing is often rife during the travel period as migrants usually take money home.

The Spring Festival, or Lunar New Year, is the most important traditional festival in China. This year, it falls on Feb. 3.

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