A total of 78 bags of fossils stolen by a gang have been seized by police in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Photo: CCTV

Police in Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province have seized 3.5 tons of paleontological fossils stolen by a gang, with a total of 78 bags, according to China Central Television (CCTV) on Tuesday.

At the end of March, local police received a report of a group of people stealing paleontological fossils at night. 

After surveilling the site for more than 10 days, officers found two men transferring the excavated fossils using a suspicious vehicle.

Police then arrested one of the suspects, surnamed Huang, in the early morning, and discovered 78 bags of fossils hidden in a kiln behind Huang’s bedroom. 

Following identification and verification, the collection of fossils was identified as vertebrate fossils which are under the state protection list with significant scientific research value. Following Huang’s arrest, the remaining three suspects surrendered, according to the report.

In August, the court, in its initial verdict, convicted the four defendants of fossil theft, sentencing them to prison terms ranging from four years and six months to two years and 10 months, and imposed fines on them.

The public is urged to promptly report to the relevant authorities if they encounter any activities involving the resale of paleontological fossils, according to the report.

Some netizens on Chinese social media platforms were shocked by the number of fossils stolen by the gang.

CCTV-Global Times