Zhang Wei said that at the time he was afraid that the few boxes of yuanxiao would be lost, so he specifically placed them against the wall, and other frozen products were piled outside. "There are some puffed rice and noodles nearby, and fish underneath. Nothing was taken except for the yuanxiao. At first, I thought they were stolen, but later I heard from customers buying vegetables that they were confiscated by the city management officers." Zhang Wei pointed to the place where the yuanxiao were stored and said, "What's the difference between this and stealing or robbing?"
Deputy Director Cui Lai of the Jingsheng Elderly Care Home in Shuangcheng Town, Shuangcheng City, told reporters that the Shuangcheng City Urban Management Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau delivered more than 140 bags of yuanxiao to the nursing home that day. There were over 60 elderly residents in the home, and the Urban Management Law Enforcement Bureau often delivered confiscated food to the elderly.
"City management officers drove three vehicles on the streets that day confiscating vendors' goods," said Guo Zhenyu of the Good-hearted Family Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Store, who also had more than 60 bags of yuanxiao forcibly confiscated. "We didn't receive any notice beforehand, and by the time we noticed, the city management officers had already driven away."
At the Shuangcheng City Urban Management Enforcement Bureau, reporters only met two duty personnel. Director Zhou Xudong admitted over the phone that he knew about the incident where law enforcement officers took the yuanxiao from stores on February 2. He acknowledged that the officers had gone beyond their authority during the enforcement process and had already punished the relevant officers.
"How can you just take it without telling us? What's the difference between this and stealing or robbing?" On February 6, four days after the incident, Zhang Wei, owner of Banfenli Grocery Store, still couldn't hide his anger as he recounted the events to a reporter from Weibo Broadcast. According to him, before the Lantern Festival, he had bought some yuanxiao to sell. Since the fridge couldn't hold all of them, the remaining 100-plus bags were put into large boxes and placed outside the store's right entrance. "They were there at 7:30 in the morning on the 2nd, but by 9:30, they were gone."
According to a report by Li Wenxue of CNTV's Weibo Broadcast, under broad daylight, the yuanxiao placed at the door of some vendors in Shuangcheng City, Harbin, disappeared. It turned out that they were "confiscated" by urban management law enforcement officers and taken to a nursing home for a慰问visit. The staff of the Shuangcheng City Urban Management Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau claimed that they were essentially a "seizing unit", and when ordered by their leaders to seize, they would seize. On February 6, the director of the bureau admitted to the reporter from Weibo Broadcast that the law enforcement officers had exceeded their authority.
That day, Zhang Wei and Guo Zhenyu went to the Shuangcheng City Urban Management Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau and learned that the yuanxiao had been sent to the nursing home to console the elderly. "Some other vendors didn't dare to come."
"We could have given the yuanxiao to the nursing home ourselves; there was no need for the law enforcement bureau to seize our goods for a慰问activity," said Guo Zhenyu. "Afterwards, whenever we went back to the law enforcement bureau, no one received us."
From a video recorded that day, the reporter saw that the staff receiving them at the law enforcement bureau said, "We're still on holiday, so let's wait until after the Lantern Festival to discuss anything," adding, "This is essentially a seizing unit. Even if you spend money and get someone to recommend you to this unit, all you'll do is go out and seize. This unit is managed this way, and the decision to seize is made temporarily by the leadership."