(Minghui.org) At least nine residents in Chengde City, Hebei Province were arrested on the morning of July 12, 2024, for their shared faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Multiple agencies were involved in the mass arrests, including the Chengde City Police Department, the Shuangqiao District Domestic Security Division, the Chengde County Police Department, the Shidongzigou Police Station, the Dashimiao Police Station, the Fengyingzi Police Station, the Kuancheng County Police Department, and the Tangdaohe Township Police Station.
A bit past 5 a.m. on July 12, three Falun Gong practitioners in Dashizhuzi Township, Kuancheng County, Chengde City were arrested one after another by the same group of people, including officers from the Kuancheng County Police Department and Tangdaohe Town Police Station, as well as the Party secretary of the Dashizhuzi Township.
The perpetrators wore plainclothes and pounded on the door. They started raiding the practitioners’ homes as soon as they were let in. When the practitioners demanded to see a search warrant, the police filled out one on the spot and then showed their IDs. They confiscated a printer, two smart phones, several Falun Gong books, and a satellite dish from Mr. Liu Shuge’s home. Ms. Bai Cuihua also had her satellite dish seized. It is unclear what items were confiscated from Ms. Kong Lingjuan’s home.
The three practitioners were then taken to an unknown location. The township secretary said it was a coordinated police sweep across the greater Chengde area.
Six Chengde residents were arrested at around 9 a.m. on July 12. About seven officers broke into Ms. Li Chunfang’s family-run hotel and searched it. They next raided her home and confiscated her Falun Gong books and satellite dish.
Another group of officers broke into Ms. Chen Yanqiu’s home and confiscated her Falun Gong informational materials, satellite dish, and 15,500 yuan in cash.
Ms. Chen Fengxia, Ms. Yu Fengjun, Ms. Sun Qiuling, and Ms. Liu Xiaoli were also arrested at around the same time.
The families of Ms. Wang Chen and Ms. Hu Xiuying could not find them on July 12 and suspected they were likely arrested. The local police station, however, said they knew nothing about their situation.
At 7:30 a.m. on July 12, the police broke into Ms. Zhao Suzhen’s home and spent the whole morning searching everywhere. They confiscated her Falun Gong books and satellite dish. She suffered an episode of her heart disease and the police left without arresting her.