China police handle 274 cases of price gouging, hoarding during virus outbreak

China's police authorities have handled 274 cases of illegal commercial practices such as price gouging and hoarding during the coronavirus outbreak, an official with China's public security bureau told a briefing on Friday.

Li Jingsheng, the director of the public security administration at the Ministry of Public Security, also said they have dealt with a total of 1,787 cases of illegal wildlife trafficking during the outbreak.

China has temporarily banned all such wild animal trade, as the coronavirus is believed to have originated in a seafood market in Wuhan.