Three people to be prosecuted for gambling at grave site Photo: The Paper

Recently, local police raided a gambling den set up in a cemetery and arrested 19 suspects in Zhuji, East China’s Zhejiang Province. One suspect surnamed Hu and two others have been transferred to procuratorate for prosecution on charges of running a gambling establishment, while the remaining participants have been detained. 

Prior to this, local police officers discovered a suspected mobile gambling den near a cemetery in a village in the mountains. Following surveillance and further investigation, police found that the den was highly concealed. The suspects usually arranged gambling activities from 10 pm to 2 am, with a van ready to pick up and drop off participants, and hired people to keep watch on the mountainside. After gathering enough information, the police launched a raid and arrested 14 individuals.

It was revealed that the main suspect Hu, had been dealt with by the public security organs multiple times for gambling offenses. Hu was short of money ahead of the Spring Festival, and heard that running a gambling den on the mountain was profitable, so he hired his fellow villagers Zhang to drive, Liu to keep watch, and “advertised” the gambling den himself. 

According to their confession, the suspects operated the gambling den five times, providing heating with fire pots for participants, offering chicken legs, cigarettes, betel nuts, and even lending money to those who lost, making a profit of nearly 20,000 yuan ($2,786). By the end of January, the police had arrested a total of 19 suspects in the case.

Global Times