14 detained over tomb raiding

Fourteen suspects have been detained over tomb raiding in Haidian District of Beijing, police said on Saturday.

The suspects were caught at the scene on Dec. 1. According to police, they had dressed as construction workers and sneaked into a construction site to dig into tombs believed to exist under the site.

Police were alerted to the situation when they received a call saying a group of suspicious people could often be seen digging at the construction site at night.

Police also found ancient copper coins and ancient silver hairpins in a car belonging to the suspects.

The suspects told police they were migrant workers who had come to Beijing looking for employment. They made detecting devices and bought safety helmets and shovels to pose as construction workers to raid tombs under construction sites.

Culture relics departments confirmed the existence of four ancient tombs under the construction site.