NANNING - Police in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have busted 145 stowaway cases in a two-year campaign, with 233 suspects apprehended, local authorities said.

Li Yue, deputy head of the regional security department, said on Friday many of those caught have been sentenced.

Police recently busted a massive trafficking ring that helped people cross the border. The main suspect, surnamed Wei, was caught in Cambodia and has been sent back to China.

These kinds of cases have been on the rise in recent years, as "snake heads", those who help people cross borders illegally by charging exorbitant "transportation fees", joined forces with unlicensed drivers and tour guides, Li said.

"We will publish a report on the cases to raise people's awareness to help prevent similar cases," Li told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Guangxi police will step up their efforts by giving rewards to informants and hunt suspects by the Internet, Li added.