Religious group found masquerading as police unit, leaders arrested

POLICE in Chengdu, Sichuan, have uncovered an underground religious organisation masquerading as a military police unit, and arrested three of its top members.

The Chengdu Commercial Daily, which reported the arrests, indicated the group may have more than 80 members.

The report said police were alerted when they intercepted a man in his 60s, dressed in police uniform, who claimed he belonged to the armed police force in Zhangjiajie, Hunan province.

Under interrogation he revealed the whereabouts of the group's headquarters. There police found a large room with two signs next to its door. One read: China Special Military Police Headquarters. The other said the office was also the headquarters of a police international operation.

Inside were photographs of Dr Sun Yat-sen , founder of Chinese nationalism, and of the late Marshal Zhu De .

Officers found electric batons, handcuffs, daggers, military police uniforms and bogus military police identity papers.