MACAO -- Eighteen people were arrested during the weekend in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) as part of a crackdown on people smuggling, the Judiciary Police (PJ) said at a press conference Monday.

They were arrested on suspicion of being involved in a people smuggling gang which assisted foreigners in illegally entering and working in the Macao SAR, a PJ spokesman said.

The PJ was in collaboration with the Macao's Customs Service and relevant local authorities of the Chinese mainland, the spokesman added.

The 18 people are detained for further investigation.