BEIJING, Feb. 9 -- Three officials from northern Hebei and central Henan provinces have been put under criminal investigation over allegations of accepting bribes, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) on Monday.

The officials are Li Baoquan, vice mayor of Hebei's Xingtai City; Zhang Xuejun, former vice mayor of Hebei's Qinhuangdao City; and Miao Yongqing, former cereals bureau director of Henan Province.

Local prosecutors have taken "coercive measures" against Zhang and Miao.

According to the Criminal Procedure Law, coercive measures include summons by force, bail, residential surveillance, detention and arrest.