BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police have arrested 42 suspects involved in 20 cases of price gouging for raw materials of face masks amid the COVID-19 epidemic, said the Ministry of Public Security Friday.

The suspects have profiteered from melt-blown fabric, a key material for making masks, with about 34.45 million yuan (around 4.87 million U.S. dollars) involved, according to the ministry.

Police in the provinces of Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shandong and Henan cracked the cases in a special campaign targeting such illegal activities.

Police will continue to crack down on crimes related to materials used for epidemic prevention and control, an official with the ministry said.