Chinese ‘tomb raider’ and gang jailed for plunder of ancient relics

The leader of a gang of tomb raiders in northern China has been jailed for life and prison terms handed out to 24 of his accomplices, according to a newspaper report.

The case was said to be the largest example of cultural plunder since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, state media reported.

The number of cultural relics and people involved in the thefts both set records, the China Daily reported, citing the court.

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The gang leader, whose full name was not given, was jailed by a court in Chaoyang in Liaoning province, the Legal Daily said.

The man, 53, became expert over the years at spotting the location of ancient tombs and could tell where they were simply by studying the landscape, the report said.

He and four other main members of the gang were given life terms for taking items from the Hongshan relic site at the end of 2014.

The site dates back 5,000 years and about 1,200 artefacts were stolen, the report said. No value was given for the goods taken.