A fraud gang which roamed around various places in Zhuzhou under the pretext of "selling mops" has recently been dismantled. The gang members had clear division of labor and were well-organized, having successfully defrauded more than 50,000 yuan. On June 29, one of the main members of the gang, Tang Moumou, was arrested by the police of Lusong Baiguan Police Station in Yongzhou Dong'an County.
Upon investigation, it was found that Tang Moumou and others were all from Dong'an County, Hunan Province. Before committing crimes, they either engaged in business or worked outside their hometowns. Although they earned decent incomes, the work was hard. For this reason, several suspects came up with the idea of making quick money through fraud.
In early April, after Tang Moumou and others discussed their method of operation and divided their roles, Tang Moumou first purchased several packages (100 per package) of Xiliduo mop heads at a price of 1.7 yuan each from Guangdong to use for their fraudulent activities. In mid-April, several suspects drove cars to their target areas where they would first select their victims. Then, one of the suspects would pose as a purchasing agent of a local enterprise to contact the victim's store, using the bait of the company wanting to buy large quantities of goods from the victim's store to make them believe that they were indeed the company’s purchasing agents.
After gaining the trust of the victims, the suspects would then propose that the victims also purchase some high-end and scarce disinfectant mop heads on their behalf, promising them a profit margin. Once the victims agreed to purchase the mop heads on their behalf, they would be directed to another suspect to buy the mop heads at a price of 25 yuan each. Once the victims had prepaid for the mop heads as required, the suspects would immediately flee the scene and then move to another location to carry out the same scam. Using this method, the suspects committed multiple frauds in the Zhuzhou area, involving a total value of over 50,000 yuan.
Currently, Tang Moumou has been criminally detained, and the case is still under further investigation.
On the afternoon of May 23, in a bustling area of Chengdu, a young man suddenly pulled out a sharp knife and started swinging it around inside a mall, scaring customers and passersby who quickly dodged. After receiving an emergency call, the police arrived on the scene. Surprisingly, none of the more than 20 police officers drew their guns. Instead, they used common household items — mops — as weapons, encircling the unexpected "knife-wielding man." After two hours of confrontation, the "knife-wielding man" was captured alive.
Throughout the entire incident, there is a finer detail worth noting: the police used household mops, specifically the end with cloth strips, when dealing with the "knife-wielding man." Afterwards, the police explained that they chose to use mops mainly to avoid harming the man. They believed the man might have mental health issues and did not appear to be a dangerous criminal suspect. However, since he had a knife, the length of the mop provided enough distance to prevent him from injuring others with his knife. Additionally, the soft front end of the mop would not harm him. Moreover, if the police officers had been armed with weapons, the man might have become even more nervous.
Later, the subdued "knife-wielding man" was taken back to the police station. Upon examination, he was determined to be a psychiatric patient and was forcibly detained. Fortunately, the police did not rashly shoot to subdue him, preserving his life despite his mental condition.
The more humane approach the police adopted throughout the process differs greatly from what we often see or hear about in cases where "suspects" are subdued. In many previous similar incidents, "suspects" were often summarily executed, and the police declared success. However, using the "execute on sight" method for those who do not pose a real threat or for petty criminals is essentially a blatant deprivation of the right to life.
Human life is paramount. Whether it be those who momentarily transgressed the law due to emotional outbursts or those criminals whose lives should not be deprived by death sentences, perhaps it is better to preserve their lives first and let the law decide their fates.
The fact that Chengdu police did not summarily execute the "knife-wielding man" during a critical moment but instead used tools like mops as "weapons" represents progress in humane law enforcement and marks a milestone.