Chinese Man Attempts to Sell Stolen Thousand-Year-Old Relic to Settle Gambling Debt

Authorities in the northwest province of Xinjiang, China, arrested a man who was trying to sell a thousand-year-old shroud to pay off his gambling debts.

The unnamed suspect fell into heavy gambling debt, owing more than 200,000 yuan (around $28,000). Upon discovering the value of the relic online, he decided to seek out potential buyers.

However, unknown to him, the police had already received a tip and proceeded to arrest him.

Relic Missing for Two Decades

A friend of the suspect stole the relic from the Xiaohe Cemetery, one of China’s key protected archaeological sites, in 2005. The friend excavated ancient tombs and stole many cultural relics, most of which he sold.

However, he couldn’t find a buyer for the shroud, which he tore from a mummy. The friend then gave the shroud to the suspect for safekeeping. Instead of safekeeping, the unnamed man tried to sell it, but unsuccessfully due to its status as a protected cultural relic.

Earlier this year, desperate from his mounting gambling debts, and finding the relic’s value, he tried to find a buyer online. Unfortunately for him, on April 24, the police arrested him at his residence in the city of Urumqi. Authorities seized the shroud along with other well-preserved relics.

Last month, the cultural relics department identified the shroud as a wool textile relic from the Bronze Age. It included three woolen cloaks and a two-piece woolen belt. All of the items are nationally protected third-level cultural relics in China.

Gambling Addiction Fuels Crime from Xinjiang to Macau

This case highlights the growing social and criminal issues linked to gambling addiction in China.

Macau, China’s gambling hub and one of the largest in the world, has witnessed an increased number of criminal gangs involved in illegal money exchanges. Reports reveal that over 60% of gaming crimes in Macau are connected to these illicit money exchanges.

That has led regulators and lawmakers to target these underground networks. Last year, Macau passed new regulations that include significantly harsher sentencing for those found guilty of participating in criminal money exchange gangs.

China’s government has also increased warnings to citizens about the risks of gambling in foreign casinos. As casinos are only accessible in Macau and Hong Kong, many Chinese residents cross the borders to gamble.

The Chinese embassy reiterated that gambling by Chinese citizens outside the country is illegal. It emphasized that it cannot provide consumer protections to those who gamble abroad.