BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A total of 73 suspects in telecom and online fraud cases have been brought back to China from the Philippines, the Ministry of Public Security said Tuesday.

The suspects have been linked to more than 40 cases, covering more than 10 Chinese provincial-level regions and involving 20 million yuan (about 3.17 million U.S. dollars), the ministry said in a statement.

Chinese police sent a team to the Philippines in 2017 to work with local police and locate suspects in the capital Manila and the northwestern city of Vigan, according to the statement.

They busted six dens earlier this year and later decided to send the suspects, all Chinese citizens, to China. Another 78 suspects are still under investigation in the Philippines, it said.

The ministry said that the telecom and online fraud, in which people pretended to be police, prosecutors and court officials, severely infringed on people's property rights and interests.

It said that Chinese police will maintain a tough crackdown on such crimes, enhance cooperation with other countries, and bring criminals to justice.