Chinese arrested after 17 years for murder
December 27th, 2011 - 2:40 pm ICT by IANSBeijing, Dec 27 (IANS) A suspect, who was among a group of 18 armed poachers who shot dead a government official of the anti-poaching department in China, has been arrested after 17 years.
Sonam Dargye, deputy head of the Zhidoi county government responsible for organising anti-poaching efforts in the northwestern Qinghai-Tibet plateau, was killed in 1994 during a patrol of a sparsely-populated grassland.
The 18 poachers were trying to kill the near-extinct Tibetan antelopes, Xinhua reported.
The suspect - surnamed Mu - was arrested Sunday after six others surrendered themselves to police for the 1994 murder, police said.
Dargye had killed one of the two lead poachers in the exchange of fire. Another was executed by the court. Police are still searching for the other members of the group.
The story of Dargye became widely known following the release of an award-winning film “Mountain Patrol” by Chinese director Lu Chuan in 2003.
The Tibetan antelope is under first-class state protection in China. In 1979, the animal was recognised as an endangered species and protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
The antelopes are hunted for their hides that can be made into shahtoosh shawls. One shawl requires three to five antelope skins.
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Tags: 17 years, beijing, china, chinese director, county government, deputy head, endangered species, government official, grassland, international trade, mu, poachers, qinghai tibet, shahtoosh shawls, shawl, skins, tibet plateau, tibetan antelope, tibetan antelopes, xinhua