"An official is suspected of accepting illicit house-warming gifts."

With a short ring on his mobile phone, He Zhanmin, chief of the anti-graft body in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, received a message via anti-corruption software called "Everyone Reports".

Mobile apps have been employed recently to target officials suspected of graft as China continues its campaign to clean up government.

"We received pictures and videos of the site of the house in this message and tracked the official," He said, commending the efficiency of the recently developed anti-corruption software.

Apps of this kind are becoming widely used in China's campaign to clean up government and practice austerity. Similar software has come into service in Beijing and Chongqing, as well as Shandong and Henan provinces.

The anti-graft body in Shandong province not only encourages citizens to use their cellphones to report corruption but also promotes the use of software in its links with police, tax and audit departments.

The disciplinary commission of the province even asked the tourist department and hotels to help them collect evidence of luxury spending by officials with public fund through mobile apps.

Duan Haifeng, deputy director of the anti-corruption bureau in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, said the introduction of high technology is urgently needed in his region's fight against corruption.

Officials' misconduct is recorded immediately as ironclad evidence for investigators, Duan said. "Otherwise, it would be difficult for us to prove officials' misconduct."

"As apps become a new tool in investigations, I hope they can be also used to track bribery. They can provide more cast evidence in cases," he added.

Zhang Yi