(Clearwisdom.net)

Ever since the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, the Xinji Police in Hebei Province have taken the law into their own hands. Officers ransacked homes of Falun Gong practitioners, confiscated valuables, and kept the cash found on the premises without issuing legal papers. When confronted about the articles taken, they simply deny taking them.

"We don't issue receipts on anything confiscated from Falun Gong practitioners. It's no use asking us. The money will not be returned anyway. If we had given you a receipt, what would happen if you exposed us on the Internet?" That was their reply.

The behavior of the Xinji police is no better than that of highway robbers.

The following are a few examples:

In late 2004, Geng Chao and Jia Lichao, the two team leaders of Xinji State Security arrested Han for appealing in Beijing. When they brought him back to the village, they demanded money from him for his release. Han replied that he had no money. After searching and finding no money on him, they were exasperated and said, "Would you like to lose an arm or a leg?" Han was sentenced to two years' forced labor, for not having any money with him.

One day in early 2005, Wang was trying to explain to his boss the truth behind the persecution of Falun Gong. Upon learning that Wang practices Falun Gong, the boss reported him to the authorities. Police officer Geng Chao came and put Wang under arrest. They demanded money from Wang. When Wang said he had no money, the next day, a few officers ransacked Wang's home and took away everything of value.

In 2002, after arresting Wang Tongjian, Xinji Town police went to Wang's home. They took away a television set and a motorcycle, but did not enter them in the book. Later on his family had to pay 800 yuan to the police to get the motorcycle back. The transaction was not recorded either.

On April 13, 2005, officers from Xinji Town Police Station made an illegal arrest of Wang Tongyi and his wife, brother and sister-in-law. They confiscated 10,000 yuan in cash, a computer, and a mobile phone, but did not give any receipt for the items taken.

On April 10, 2003, officers from Xinji Town Police Station arrested Feng Jianhua and his wife Zhang Xiaohui of Tianjiazhuang on Falun Gong related issues. They confiscated a television set, a VCD set, two mobile phones, a bicycle and a helmet, a TV antenna, a chest set as well as over 38,900 yuan in cash. (The money was pooled by friends and relatives to buy a rental car for a business). After ransacking the house, the officers went to Wang's wife Zhang Xiaohui's Boutique shop and took away over 7,000 yuan worth of clothes. No receipts were given for any of the items taken.

Two days later, the family was called in the office, only to find out that the police wanted more money before they would return the rental car, which they held for over twenty days. Finally, after much ado, the family managed to raise a further 3,000 yuan. They also found someone with connections to take the officers out to dinner, and present them with valuable gifts and the money. The transaction was all carried out behind closed doors. As for Feng Jianghua, he was sentenced to three years of hard labor.

After Feng's arrest, three elderly parents and a child were left at home financially crippled, and with nobody to look after them. The money taken away from them was never seen again.

Li was arrested in 2004. The police took 8,000 yuan from him. When Li's family demanded to have it back, Zhao Shuhua, the chief officer denied taking it. "We didn't take any money from him." He then added, "We don't give receipts for articles confiscated from Falun Gong practitioners. It's no use asking us, we won't return them anyway." Then he added, "You see, if we'd given you a receipt, what would happen if you exposed the matter on the Internet?"