A major criminal network in China is under investigation for stealing over 4,000 corpses from crematoriums and medical facilities to extract bones for dental grafts. This decade-long conspiracy involved selling bodies intended for cremation to Sichuan Hengpu Technology Co. and Shanxi Osteorad Biomaterial Co., leading to profits estimated at $53 million between 2015 and 2023, according to the South China Morning Post.
Prominent criminal attorney Yi Shenghua revealed the case on social media on August 8, igniting widespread public outrage. Authorities in Taiyuan, Shanxi province’s capital, are examining claims that the stolen bones were used for allogeneic bone transplants. Shanxi Osteorad, a significant supplier of bone substitutes, and Sichuan Hengpu, a major medical device manufacturer, are implicated in the scandal.
The trafficking ring reportedly spanned at least seven provinces and involved various activities including corpse transfer, dissection, and storage. The Taiyuan People’s Procuratorate is investigating whether an organized group was involved in reselling corpses for profit.
The case has cast a spotlight on the state-run funeral sector, prompting anti-corruption agents to make several arrests. The scandal underscores serious ethical and legal concerns regarding the handling of human remains in China’s biomaterials industry.
