From correspondents in Beijing, China, 03:54 PM IST

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge has said the recent rise in positive dope cases is a result of an intensified crackdown on drug cheats and that IOC will make sure that maximum dope tests are conducted on the athletes before they touch down in the Olympic village.

According to Rogge, about 15 to 17 drug cheats have been caught just weeks before the Beijing Olympics.

'This is the result of a deliberate strategy and policy,' Rogge told reporters.

'The IOC has asked the international federations to conduct maximum doping tests before the athletes reached the Olympic village.

'I am pleased to see it's successful,' he said.

A total of 4,500 doping tests will be conducted at the Beijing Games, up from 3,600 at Athens.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)