A total of 1,178 people, all nationals of Southeast Asian countries, were arrested for trying to enter Guangdong without legal permits, provincial border police said.
Another 48 were captured in Hong Kong, but police gave no details of their nationalities, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Most of the immigrants were apprehended at bus and railway stations, ports and work places such as construction sites or factories, police added.
Police in Guangdong and Hong Kong have strengthened cooperation at borders to curb illegal immigration.
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