4,000 dead bodies stolen and resold in China, police probing massive crime ring
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Authorities in China are pursuing a crime ring for allegedly stealing over 4,000 dead bodies from crematoriums and medical labs so that their bones can be used for dental grafts. Allogeneic grafts are used when patients don’t have enough density for grafts. However, such bones are generally taken from consenting patients undergoing operations such as hip replacement.
According to the president of a Beijing law firm, police in Taiyuan, capital of the northern province of Shanxi, are investigating the case. An official was quoted as saying by Chinese media that the crime ring was “stealing and reselling corpses for profit”. During their investigation, police are believed to have seized over 18 tonnes of bones and more than 34,000 semi-finished and finished products.
The case has put the spotlight back on the state-run funeral industry, which was previously in the news for back-to-back arrests over corruption allegations.
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As per reports, over 70 people have already been detained in the case.
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It is alleged that the workers at the crematoriums were working hand in glove with the crime ring, suspected of selling bones after dismembering.
Synthetic bone makers’ stocks rally
As authorities crack down on the human bone syndicate, demand for synthetic bone substitutes has picked up, triggering a rally on Chinese stock exchanges.
On Friday (Aug 9), Allgens Medical Science and Technology surged by the 20 per cent daily limit to 15.44 yuan in Shanghai. Shandong Weigao Orthopaedic Device’s stocks also rallied 15 per cent before closing at a 1.2 per cent gain.
“Some people are taking advantage of the scandal to buy on the news, a popular trading pattern this year given the weak fundamentals in the economy,” Wang Chen, a partner at Xufunds Investment Management in Shanghai, was quoted as saying by South China Morning Post. “The logic is that demand for substitute products will increase,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)