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 provinces 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. 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, according to the statement.