Police in Shanghai's suburban Minhang District said yesterday they had busted a gang who extorted out-of-town drivers at the entry-exit point of Huhang Expressway, which leads to Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province.

　　Still at large is just one member of the seven-man gang, all hailing from Anhui Province, police said.

　　According to Zhang Honghong, a spokesman for the Minhang District Public Security Bureau, the gang made a fortune by forcibly guiding the way for out-of-town drivers.

　　"The gang often held up vehicles and forced drivers to let them show the way and then charge," said Zhang.

　　He added the gang had "seriously interfered with public security and caused traffic woes," without giving details about how much the gang gained and how long it had been active.

　　Police zeroed in on the ring after receiving tips early last month and on May 12 the gang was put under watch. On May 22, police arrested four of the targets at a restaurant along the highway while two others were nabbed when they tried to rip off officers posing as drivers.