Beijing subway security clampdown
Beijing subway passengers will face checks by scanners, police, dogs and 3,000 specially trained security guards under a security clamp that comes into force today
All subway stations will be subject to the checks until September 20, as part of the security for the Olympics and Paralympics.Guns, ammunition, controlled knives, flammable material, explosives and radioactive and poisonous articles will be the focus of the checks.
"The measures have been taken to maintain public order and ensure a smooth Olympics," a subway spokesman said.
In addition to police, the Beijing Mass Transit Railway Operation Co Ltd has trained about 3,000 people for the security checks, he said.
"Passengers who reject security checks or insist on carrying dangerous articles will be refused entry or exit and may even be punished by law," he said.
Police said passengers would have to drink bottled water and other beverages they carried into the subway if security scanners and police dogs could not identify them.
According to Chinese laws and regulations, passengers are banned from carrying dangerous substances on board public transport, including buses, subways, trains and aircraft. Offenders can be detained for five to 15 days.
Beijing will host the Olympic Games from August 8 to 24 and the Paralympics from September 6 to 17.
The capital has five subway lines with 140 kilometers of track, transporting millions of passengers daily.
