74 accused of murder, fraud in fake mine accidents

Prosecutors in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region have accused 74 defendants of killing people and using their corpses to make false claims of mining incidents, the regional prosecuting authority said on Monday.

The prosecuting body in the region's Bayannur League alleged that the defendants fabricated mining disaster claims after murdering 17 people in six provinces and autonomous regions, including Shanxi, Hebei and Xinjiang, and then asking for compensation.

After interrogating the suspects and reviewing materials, facts and evidence, the league's prosecutors brought the case to court on May 30, charging the defendants with homicide, fraud, blackmail, hiding offenses and possessing criminal gains.