CHONGQING - Twenty three alleged members of a mafia-style ring have been arrested or detained over involvement in gang crimes in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, local police said Wednesday.

The ring's head Wang Neng, a former deputy to Chongqing Municipal People's Congress, or the city's legislative body, was arrested over crimes including organizing a mafia-style gang, intentional assault, illegal possession of guns and extortion, according to a statement from the municipal police.

Wang had fled after Chongqing police launched a high-profile crackdown on gangster crime in July 2009. He was detained by the police in June.

Wang, 48, was accused of using threats, blackmails and violence to monopolize the logistics business of Chongqing's Chaotianmen market to make huge profits, the statement said.

According to the statement, Wang had ordered his gang members to create a traffic accident in August 2000, in which a man surnamed Guo, who was believed to have a grudge with Wang, was injured and paralyzed after the gangsters shot his legs.