City police have detained a gang of seven for allegedly stealing cables and wires worth over 1.2 million yuan (US$175,800) since April.

The gang attacked and injured four people, including three police assistants, who caught them in the act, Fengxian District police said yesterday.

"Obviously they would not hesitate attacking anyone who stood in their way," said a police spokesman surnamed Shi.

The gang was responsible for at least 48 cable thefts in Fengxian, Qingpu districts and Pudong New Area, officers said.

Wearing masks, the suspects, working in a suburban area, usually cut the cables and wires and put them in a car, officers said.

The Fengxian police began investigating the thefts after a police assistant was stabbed when checking out five gang members on August 2.

Officers set up checkpoints and went on patrol.

Qingpu police said the gang injured a company security guard on April 8 and two police assistants on August 5 in the district.