China Corpse-Stealing Ring Busted by Police, Lawyer Claims
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A large-scale corpse trading ring based in North China’s Shanxi province has reportedly been busted by police, who found that over almost a decade, more than 4,000 human cadavers were illegally purchased or stolen from funeral homes and medical laboratories across China to produce bone implant materials.
At the center of the case is Shanxi Osteorad Biomaterial Co. Ltd. (山西奥瑞生物材料有限公司; Osteorad Biomaterial), a company which previously had state ties, which is accused of illegally buying human bodies and body parts and using them to produce human allogeneic grafts from January 2015 to July 2023, according to a document made public Thursday by a Beijing-based lawyer.
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- Over nearly a decade, over 4,000 human cadavers were illegally sourced in North China’s Shanxi province to produce bone implant materials.
- Shanxi Osteorad Biomaterial Co. Ltd. is accused of buying bodies for allogeneic grafts from 2015 to 2023; 75 suspects and multiple institutions across China are implicated.
- Osteorad Biomaterial generated 380 million yuan in revenue from 2015-2023 by illegally sourcing bodies, forging documents, and working with crematoriums and medical institutions.
- Shanxi Osteorad Biomaterial Co. Ltd.
- Shanxi Osteorad Biomaterial Co. Ltd. is accused of illegally acquiring over 4,000 human cadavers from funeral homes and medical labs between 2015 and 2023. The company used these bodies to produce bone implant materials. Key figures include Cong Maoyi, the largest shareholder and chairman, and Su Chengzhong, the general manager. To cover up their activities, they forged donation forms and inspection reports.
- Sichuan Hengpu Technology Co. Ltd.
- Sichuan Hengpu Technology Co. Ltd. is controlled by Su Chengzhong and was used to dissect cadavers acquired by Osteorad Biomaterial. It was involved in the illegal transport and handling of human bodies from 2015 to 2023, facilitating the processing of over 4,000 corpses, including those stolen from crematoriums in Southwest China.
- Starting in 2007：
- Cong Maoyi and Su Chengzhong began to purchase shares of Osteorad Biomaterial.
- By 2012：
- Cong became the largest shareholder with over 50% of the shares and the company’s chairman, while Su held 45.92% and served as the general manager.
- From January 2015 to July 2023：
- Osteorad Biomaterial is accused of illegally buying human bodies and body parts and using them to produce human allogeneic grafts.
- From 2015 to 2023：
- Li, Su, and others instructed Osteorad Biomaterial employees to transport cadavers from various regions for raw material needs.
- From 2017 to 2019：
- Su took control of four crematoriums located in Southwest China, instructed staff to steal corpses and dismember them before transportation.
- Thursday, August 8, 2024：
- Beijing-based lawyer published a document detailing Osteorad Biomaterial’s alleged offenses.
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