Beijing, Dec 28 (IANS) Over 46 million pieces of pirated, pornographic and illegal publications have been confiscated by law enforcement officials this year, authorities said Wednesday.

The National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publication made the seizures in the first 11 months of 2011, Xinhua reported.

Among the confiscated items were 31.5 million audio and video items, 6.6 million books and 988,000 electronic publication copies, the office said. Authorities investigated a total of 9,463 cases of infringement of intellectual property rights.

In a crackdown on illegal newspapers, magazines, media organisations and fake reporters, China investigated 275 cases and confiscated more than four million copies of illegal publications.