Argali sheep forage at Haltent Grassland in Kazak Autonomous County of Aksay, northwest China's Gansu Province, Nov. 30, 2019. (Photo: Xinhua)

BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- A total of 1,749 people in China were prosecuted for damaging wildlife resources in the first quarter of the year, up 62.4 percent from the same period last year, said a source of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) Wednesday.

The procuratorial organs approved the arrest of 400 suspects allegedly involved in such crimes from January to March, 14.9 percent more than in the same period in 2019, according to the SPP source.

One hundred and seventy-six suspects were arrested for charges of illegally purchasing, transporting or selling rare or endangered wild animals and their byproducts, accounting for 44 percent of the total arrests for the first quarter of the year.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, adopted a decision on thoroughly banning the illegal trading of wildlife and eliminating the consumption of wild animals on Feb. 24, aiming to safeguard biological and ecological security and effectively prevent major public health risks.