Asia Tech Wire (Nov 8) -- Chinese gaming giant NetEase Inc. has confirmed that nine people have been taken away for investigation amid a corruption storm.

Previously, there were reports that NetEase was conducting a rigorous investigation into corruption within its gaming unit, involving a number of executives in the marketing line and hundreds of millions of yuan.

Friday morning NetEase released an internal e-mail to make an official response to the incident.

NetEase said that recently the company has seriously investigated and dealt with two cases of fraud and corruption, Xiang Lang, the former head of the Battle division and KK division at Netease Games, Jin Yuchen, the former head of the Distribution Channel Center at Netease Games, and other 9 people suspected of fraud and corruption violations, which public security organs have taken criminal coercive measures against them.

Of the nine people, three people are departed employees of NetEase, and six others, including Xiang, Jin and ordinary staff, have been terminated by the company's labor contract and will never be employed.

The Battle division is NetEase's department responsible for e-sports, while the main product of the KK division is Y3, a game development tool that focuses on UGC.

In addition, NetEase said that a number of external personnel involved in the cases were also taken by the public security authorities.

NetEase also said that 27 companies related to the fraud and corruption offenses have been included in a list of subjects it will never cooperate with.

The person in charge of NetEase's public relations department said earlier on Friday that NetEase's anti-corruption efforts have never stopped, and that because the casse are still being investigated, it is not convenient to disclose specific information, which will be communicated in due course.

This person said, money laundering and other related news circulating on the Internet is purely rumor, for which NetEase has arranged to report to the police.