BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese mainland police on Friday sent Chen Boshan, an accused armed robber and drug trafficker, back to Taiwan, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Police in west China's Sichuan province captured Chen on Feb. 16, three days after Taiwan police requested assistance from mainland police.

An official with the ministry said that Chinese mainland police will continue to cooperate with Taiwan police to safeguard the lives and property of people across the Taiwan Strait.

Hand over protocols between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are based on the Jinmen Agreement, signed in September 1990 between Red Cross organizations on both sides of the Strait.

The two sides have returned 37,790 criminals, criminal suspects and people guilty of illegal entry since 1990.