Chinese Crime Ring Accused of Stealing Corpses for Dental Grafts

Shocking Investigation Uncovers Widespread Body Theft

CHINA: In a disturbing development that has sent shockwaves through China, prosecutors in Shanxi province are investigating allegations of a massive corpse-stealing operation. According to a recent article published on the South China Morning Post website by William Zheng, a criminal ring is accused of stealing over 4,000 bodies from crematoriums and medical laboratories across multiple provinces. The stolen remains were allegedly used to produce dental bone grafts, a revelation that has sparked widespread public outrage.

Details Emerge from Legal Sources

The case came to light when Yi Shenghua, president of the Beijing Brave Lawyer firm, shared details on social media. Yi claimed to have received authentic “prosecution opinion” documents from an insider. According to these documents, a company named Shanxi Aorui Biomaterials is suspected of illegally purchasing corpses and limbs from various provinces to produce bone grafts.

Yi told Shanghai-based news portal Thepaper.cn:

“The evidence, marked as ‘prosecution opinion’, had been passed to me by an ‘insider’ and was ‘authentic’.”

Scale of the Operation

The alleged operation’s scale is staggering. Police reportedly seized over 18 tonnes of bones and more than 34,000 semi-finished and finished products. The company is accused of earning 380 million yuan (approximately US$53 million) from selling the bones for dental grafts.

Confession and Widespread Involvement

According to the documents published by Yi, a suspect surnamed Su, who was the company’s general manager, confessed to the theft of more than 4,000 human bodies from crematoriums across multiple provinces. The investigation has led to the detention of 75 suspects, indicating a wide-ranging network involved in this illegal activity.

Medical Institutions Under Scrutiny

The investigation has also cast a shadow on respected medical institutions. The liver centre at Qingdao University Hospital in Shandong is being investigated for allegedly selling corpses to the company. Li Baoxing, the centre’s director and a previously celebrated “Model Worker,” has been named as a suspect.

Official Response and Ongoing Investigation

When contacted, a spokesman for the Taiyuan municipal procuratorate confirmed that an investigation is underway into allegations of a crime ring “stealing and reselling corpses for profit.” However, he declined to provide further details, stating:

“The investigation still needs more time as the case is ‘rather complicated’.”

Wider Implications for the Funeral Industry

This case has brought China’s state-run funeral industry under intense scrutiny, particularly in light of recent anti-corruption investigations. The civil affairs bureau in Guilin is investigating claims that a medical college and three funeral homes were also involved in selling corpses to the crime ring.

As this shocking story continues to unfold, it raises serious questions about ethical practices, oversight, and regulation in China’s medical and funeral industries. The outcome of this investigation could potentially lead to significant reforms and stricter controls to prevent such egregious violations in the future.