ULAN BATOR, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Mongolian government on Monday established an independent ecological police department.
"The ecological police department will soon start working. The police officers are responsible for the enforcement of the environmental laws and regulations of the country and for the detection and investigation of suspected violations," Tsend Nyamdorj, minister of justice and home affairs, said at a press conference.
The department is expected to have around 170 police officers, said Nyamdorj.
The decision was made as part of the government's efforts to support responsible mining, and the department will pay special attention to the provinces where many mining licenses have been issued, according to Nyamdorj.
More than 700 mining licenses have been revoked over the past three years in the mineral-rich country due to violations of laws and rules.
