Chinese officials announced yesterday the extermination of a network responsible for forcing children from poor areas to work in the large coastal cities. The investigation was a success, as several arrests were made and more than 100 children were sent home from the factories in Dongguan.

The city is one of the country’s largest electronics and consumer goods producers with a massive role in the global market.

The strategy involved children mostly between 13 and 15-years-old, who were lured by accomplice employment agencies in the western Sichuan Province and then sent to different factories in order to work under slave like conditions for a minimal pay. Apparently, the work schedule implied 300 hours a month. 

The abuses come last in a long line of media scandals for China. Over the past few months, the country has had its work cut out with reports about severe pollution, dangerous exports and the highly debated Tibet riots.

In recent events, Beijing has made numerous efforts to abolish the labor law violations. Several factories have had their licenses revoked and other suppliers were punished in order for the government to make a statement on the issue.

According to the New York Times, Hu Xingdou, a professor of economics and social policy at the Beijing Institute of Technology commented on the continuous rising costs of labor, energy and raw material: “China’s economy is developing at a fascinating speed, but often at the expense of laws, human rights and environmental protection.”