Three suspects - two from Beijing and one from Henan Province - are now in police custody for allegedly stealing a pair of 400-year-old candle holders from the Ming imperial tombs. Police said that they have been involved in organized relic theft. The Ming Tombs became a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. 

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The candle holders were at the mausoleums built for the dead emperors of the Ming Dynasty. The candle holders were made of marble and stood at 90 centimeters tall and weighed 200 kilograms each. They are a part of the mausoleum of Chongzhen, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty. 

A police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the antique candle holders went missing in May last year, but officials of the site covered it up by saying that they sent it somewhere to be repaired. 

Old and recent photos of the said mausoleum circulated online where it was clearly visible that only the bases of the candle holders were there in the recent photos. 

A spokesperson for the Ming Tombs Special Area Agency admitted to Xinhua on March 20 that the candle holders were, in fact, missing. Four officials were fired over the incident. 

Police are still investigating the three people. 

TagsMing Dynasty, weird news in China, bizarre news, relic, thieves, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, ming tombs, Ming imperial tombs, candle holders, candles, relic theft