Thousands of children have been reunited with their parents thanks to a groundbreaking national DNA database, a leading figure in the fight against trafficking said.

More than 2,300 youngsters, who were abducted, sold or reported missing, have been able to track their blood relatives, Chen Shiqu, director of the Ministry of Public Security's human trafficking task force, said in an interview.

When police rescue abducted children or find vagrant youths, they immediately take blood samples for DNA sampling, he said.

The exact number of entries in the database is unknown, but since its launch in April 2009 it has matched 2,348 children with their biological parents. Last year, it helped reunite 521 families.

"It is especially efficient in helping parents and children who have been separated for years to find each other," he said.

The system quickly compares DNA samples from both parents and children and can be accessed by police nationally.

"Years of separation can change many things, especially a child's physical appearance,'' he said.

The DNA database allows for an almost immediate identification.

Chen Shiqu, director of the Ministry of Public Security’s human traffi cking task force, says the DNA database has helped many parents find their children. [ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY]