Police in western Xinjiang said Wednesday they have rescued 68 Xinjiang children from 19 criminal groups across the country in a crackdown on those who kidnap minors and force them to commit crimes.

Police have apprehended 151 people since the crackdown was launched last month. They are suspected of kidnapping children and manipulating them to engage in criminal activities, such as theft and robbery, said an official with Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region's police department at a briefing.

The region has promised to locate and return home all Xinjiang's minors who are in other parts of the country -- about 90 percent of whom have been kidnapped.

The efforts are aimed at helping the children resume normal lives and restore the region's reputation, as currently the far western region is notorious as a source of young thieves and vagrants.

Once returned home, the children will be placed in government-run shelters that will provide schooling and a safe environment, said Zhang Chunxian, the region's top official, in April.