The Chinese police have intensified their control over the border area between China and North Korea in order to actively send back North Korean defectors fleeing the country.

Authorities are cracking down on not only North Korean defectors, but also on groups that support the defectors in the Yanbian Prefecture in China, which is above the border with North Korea.

As a result, illegal North Korean workers that were located in the area have reportedly gone into hiding.

After the police in Yanbian declared their crackdown on defectors, they also beefed up their security at the Tumen River.

The Chinese police held a press conference announcing their heightened security against the defectors, which was aimed at South Korean religious and civic groups.

Police in Beijing are also tracking down illegal workers and foreigners staying in the country without a valid visa.