22 cultural relic robbers detained by police in east China

A total of 22 suspected grave robbers have been detained by police in Tengzhou, east China's Shandong Province.

Some of the cultural relics brought back by Tengzhou police. [Photo: Legal Daily]

They are being held in connection with the theft of cultural relics in the village of Dahan, dating from the Spring and Autumn periods in Chinese history.

They included 3 grade-one cultural relics, 5 grade-two cultural relics and 46 grade-three cultural relics. Among them, a Nigong bronze dagger-axe with inscriptions which had filled in gaps in Shandong archaeological research.

Some of the cultural relics brought back by Tengzhou police. [Photo: Legal Daily]

The Spring and Autumn Period refers to the time of the Zhou dynasty, between 1046 and 256 BC, specifically the first portion of the Dong (Eastern) Zhou when many states fought and competed for supremacy.

In all, the grave robbing activities lasted for 8 months and involved several cases.

On December 13, 2016, 4 thieves were caught by Tengzhou police at the Donggu cultural site. Another group of robbers had also been at work at the site on the same night but ran away before the police arrived. A month later, the police found a suspicious car waiting near the gate. The car's owner had a record of gave robbing, but that night was thought to be keeping watch for other thieves.

While the police were investigating leads, holes dug for stealing relics were found again in Dahan village on February 6, 2017. The same car had left tire tracks near the village around the same time of the crime. After following the car for 5 days, investigators found that the owner, called Fan, was part of a robbery group, which was led by a man called Qin.

Together with Guanqiao police, and using the "Skynet" video surveillance network, Tengzhou police apprehended 5 key members of the group on March 2, including Qin. Those caught confessed that they had robbed graves in Dahan village on three occasions, and had sold chime stones, bronze ware and other relics they had found for over 2.8 million yuan (about USD 419,384).

But Qin, the ringleader, refused to give the names of other robbers, so the police carried out further investigations into the black market. They soon found that a man, Qin's brother-in-law, had been secretly selling relics very similar to those which had gone missing. On the basis of this, the police caught 8 criminal suspects in the grave robbery case, and managed to return over 50 cultural relics on April 11.

On July 31, the Ministry of Public Security issued wanted orders for two robbers on the run, Liu and Meng. Soon after, Liu was caught on a bus by an investigator. Meanwhile, the police found Meng to be innocent of any crime, and from a good family, and urged him to surrender voluntarily. Meng eventually turned himself in on August 4.

So far, 22 suspected Dahan grave robbers have been detained by Tengzhou police.