Dong Zhen/Shanghai Daily news

Shanghai's Traffic Law Enforcement Team announced yesterday that 416 unlicensed taxis and vans had been seized in the past 10 days, saying tip-offs about illegal taxis had led to a surge of busts, Shanghai Daily reported.

The watchdog said it had enough evidence to prove 80 percent of the vehicles were used frequently as "black cabs," which means their owners would incur near-maximum penalties.