Police in northern China's Hebei province have arrested 17 people suspected of involvement in an online firearms sales network, Hengshui Public Security Bureau announced on Thursday.

Accused of illegally manufacturing and selling guns, gun parts and ammunition, the suspects were rounded up in a coordinated effort by officers in 10 provinces.

The investigation began in May, when a man known only as Zhang was said to have ordered more than 3,000 items that appeared to be gun components - bolts, triggers and barrels - from various metalwork shops in Jingxian county. The items were then delivered to other parts of the country by courier. Zhang rented a yard and surrounding homes in the county to serve as a warehouse for the goods, according to the authorities.