A local resident with the surname Chen recently sent a text message to Wen Zhenxiang, a soldier with the border force in Pingtan county, to thank him for rescuing one of his relatives from a gambling ring.

The border force raided the gambling ring in Beicuo town on Dec 13, detained 20 members and seized cash totaling 540,000 yuan ($89,000).

Chen said in the message that one of his family members was addicted to gambling and stayed with the group for a long time – and that the family really appreciated what the border force did to save him from further trouble.

The border force aims to continue its work to crack down on illegal activities.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Niva Whyman