Chinese police bust tomb robbing ring
XINING -- Police in Northwest China's Qinghai province have seized eight suspected tomb raiders and an antique dealer, recovering 54 items.
Some residents at a village of Tongren county found several holes in their farmland between April and May.
Fan Haiyun, deputy head with Tongren police, said the holes were dug by tomb raiders.
On June 1, police caught four suspects who attempting to rob tombs in neighboring Xunhua county in Qinghai. Police followed the lead and seized another four suspected tomb raiders and a dealer in neighboring Gansu province.
The tombs date back to the Kayue culture period (900 BC -- 600 BC).
Believed to be related to the ancient Qiang people that disappeared, Kayue culture was discovered in 1923 at Kayue village in Qinghai.