Mainland and Hong Kong police have broken up 205 cases of human smuggling leading to the apprehension of 2,100 illegal immigrants to Hong Kong since February.

According to the third joint meeting between the two sides in Shenzhen, Guangdong, on Monday, they caught 12 smuggling rings with 218 members.

The two sides stepped up the efforts to curb illegal immigration to China since February when the Public Security Ministry saw an increasing momentum of illegal immigrants flowing to Hong Kong through the mainland.

Four months ago, police from Guangdong and Yunnan provinces as well as from Guangxi Zhuang and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region also set up a joint working mechanism with the police in Hong Kong and pledged to crack down illegal immigration to Hong Kong hand in hand.

According to a statement from the third meeting, migrant smuggling gangs are becoming more professional with a variety of modus operandi which makes it difficult for police officers to fight with.

The two sides vowed no letup in fighting with smuggling gangs with more exchanges of intelligence and more investigation on foreigners living in Hong Kong without legal papers.