GUANGZHOU: The chairman of DDS, a failed courier firm in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, has been detained after hundreds of former clients and employees blocked traffic in a number of cities in Guangdong to demand the payment of outstanding debt.

Police detained Gao Wei and froze his assets after they were told the company was unable to pay its debts last Thursday, local media reported.

Angry clients and staff gathered outside DDS offices in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Foshan, and Dongguan at different times on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to demand their money back. Police detained 21 people after protesters caused extensive traffic delays.