Tomb-raiding case busted in China's Zhejiang

HANGZHOU - Police in East China's Zhejiang province busted a tomb-raiding case and arrested 39 suspects, a local government briefing said Wednesday.

The suspected tomb raiders illegally excavated and robbed several ancient tombs, including the tomb of Qian Liu, one of South China's rulers in the Five Dynasties (907-960), said local police.

Police in the city of Hangzhou discovered a clue in March 2020. They later rounded up 39 suspects and retrieved 223 relics sold by them, including 175 stolen relics from the tomb of Qian Liu.

Among the stolen relics are a gold-jade belt, ancient porcelain, and a sword.

The analysis on the damage of Qian Liu's tomb by archaeologists concluded that the suspects dug only one hole into the tomb chamber and its structure and integrity were in good condition.

Fang Xiangming, the deputy director of the provincial institute of cultural relics and archaeology, said the retrieved relics are well-preserved and have significant historical, artistic, and scientific values.