The former leader was also investigated, and the old public security guard sheltered the gang leader

On August 28, the Ningxia Wuzhong Intermediate People's Court held a public hearing in accordance with the law to hear the case of Xia Guorong, the former director of the Economic Development Zone Branch of Guyuan Public Security Bureau, who was suspected of taking bribes and covering up criminal organization. Dean Yang Zinan served as the presiding judge to preside over the trial, while Prosecutor Zhang Wei of the People's Procuratorate of Wuzhong City appeared in court to support the prosecution.

The People's Procuratorate of Wuzhong City accuses the defendant Xia Guorong, as a state functionary, of taking advantage of his position and position to seek benefits for others, demanding and illegally accepting a total of 422000 yuan in property from others, with a huge amount; As a public security police, knowing that the illegal organization led by Zhao Weidong and Zhao Weibing is engaged in illegal and criminal activities in Guyuan Economic Development Zone, such as organizing prostitution, paid heterosexual escort, provoking trouble, buying guns, etc., and does not perform their duties according to law, shielding the leading elements of the organization from punishment, Xia Guorong, the defendant, should be investigated for criminal responsibility for the crime of accepting bribes, shielding criminal organization.

During the trial, after the court presented evidence, cross examination, and debate, both the prosecution and defense fully expressed their opinions on the facts of the case, the application of law, and sentencing. The defendant Xia Guorong made a final statement and expressed remorse in court.

The close relatives of the defendant, some units, and enterprises sent people to attend the trial.

Three police officers were investigated on the same day, and the disciplinary inspection and supervision commission was upgraded to handle it

On June 7, 2021, the official website of the Ningxia Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision revealed that Xia Guorong, a member of the Party Committee and Director of the Office of the Economic Development Zone Branch of the Guyuan Public Security Bureau, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law. The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision has been upgraded to handle the disciplinary review and supervision investigation.

According to public data, Xia Guorong, male, Han nationality, was born in November 1974 in Haiyuan, Ningxia, with a college degree, started work in July 1998, and joined the CPC in January 1998. Formerly served as a member of the Party Committee and Director of the Office of the Economic Development Zone Branch of Guyuan Public Security Bureau in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

On the day Xia Guorong was investigated, his former leader and colleagues were also investigated. These three individuals all hold positions in the Economic Development Zone Branch.

On June 7, 2021, the Ningxia Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision announced that Yang Ligong was suspected of serious violations of discipline and law. The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision has been upgraded to accept disciplinary review and supervisory investigation.

According to public data, Yang Ligong, male, Han nationality, was born in March 1966 in Yuanzhou, Ningxia, with a college degree, started work in December 1983, and joined the CPC in January 1995. Formerly served as a instructor in the Order and Technology Brigade of the Traffic Police Detachment of Guyuan Public Security Bureau.

On June 7, 2021, the Ningxia Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision announced that Zhang Rui was suspected of serious violations of discipline and law. The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision has been upgraded to accept disciplinary review and supervision investigation.

According to public data, Zhang Rui, male, Han nationality, was born in June 1962 in Yuanzhou, Ningxia, with a university degree, started work in December 1980, and joined the CPC in March 1990. Formerly served as the director of the detention center in Guyuan City.

Before being investigated, all three of them had been working in the Economic Development Zone Branch of Guyuan Public Security Bureau for a long time. Among them, Zhang Rui had participated in the investigation of many major cases, which can be said to be rich in case handling experience. Zhang Rui is from Yuanzhou District, Ningxia, and has been a police officer for 36 years; Yang Ligong, also from Yuanzhou District, Ningxia, served as a police officer for 29 years.

In February 2018, Zhang Rui was also given a serious warning within the party for issues such as public fund shopping, gift giving, and illegal reimbursement. On June 7, 2021, when Zhang Rui was officially announced to have been taken down, he was already 59 years old and was about to retire.

It is worth noting that as three grassroots police officers, the Ningxia Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision has adopted a method of promotion.

The prostitution club's four-year revenue exceeded 78 million yuan

On August 28th this year, according to media reports, Xia Guorong failed to fulfill his duties in accordance with the law and sheltered the top members of the "10.16" Zhao Weidong and other organizations involved in organized crime to evade punishment. This case is one of the key cases in the special struggle against organized crime and evil in Ningxia in 2020, and has been mentioned multiple times by the local authorities.

In February 2020, the local police publicly solicited Zhao Weidong and other organization leaders to participate in the relevant criminal clues of criminal organization. At this time, the "Guyuan Mingmenhui" has been sealed off.

On February 25, 2021, the 8th press conference of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region's special campaign against organized crime and organized crime revealed that since March 2019, the Public Security Bureau of Guyuan City has received reports from the public that Zhao Weidong and others engaged in illegal activities such as organizing prostitution, beating and extorting consumers during the operation of the "Guyuan Mingmen Club" entertainment venue. According to information disclosed by the police, Zhao Weidong, nicknamed Fourth Brother, was born in 1982.

It was disclosed at the meeting that after checking the clues, the Guyuan Public Security Bureau set up a "10.16" special case team in time to raise the level of Zhao Weidong and other criminal cases involving mafia, and organized a centralized network capture action. Twelve people, including the main suspect Zhao Weidong, were captured, and a large number of property and case evidence involved in the case, such as vehicles, guns, controlled knives, business account books, bills, bank cards, POS machines, computers, mobile phones, were seized according to law.

After investigation, in July 2015, Zhao Weidong and others invested 8 million yuan to register and establish Ningxia Mingmenhui Entertainment Co., Ltd. in Guyuan Economic and Technological Development Zone. From July 22, 2015 to December 15, 2019, they organized, recruited, and sheltered women to engage in opposite sex companionship and prostitution illegal activities, with a total operating income of over 78 million yuan. In order to evade regulatory inspections by law enforcement agencies, Zhao Weidong has changed his legal representative and company name multiple times, but the actual controller is himself.

Zhao Weidong and others engaged in various illegal and criminal activities during the four years of operating the Guyuan Mingmen Association, causing infringement on the personal and property rights and interests of multiple people. They gradually developed into a black related criminal organization that "supports the black with commerce, and protects the black with commerce", disrupting the local economic order, corrupting social atmosphere, and causing significant impact.

After a large amount of investigation and evidence collection, the public security organ has found out that the criminal organization has successively committed 40 cases of various crimes, including 21 criminal cases, involving 11 crimes such as organizing, leading, and participating in criminal organization, organizing prostitution, provoking trouble, illegal detention, and forced trading; There were 19 public security administrative cases, involving 8 illegal acts such as beating others, extortion, and tax evasion.

Among them, two business properties of Guyuan Mingmenhui and 23 properties of the involved personnel were lawfully sealed, 154 bank accounts were frozen, 350000 yuan of involved funds were seized, 21 vehicles were confiscated, and three 54 acres of construction land were sealed, with a total valuation of over 30 million yuan. After more than a year of concentrated efforts, the investigation of the case was concluded in January 2021.

On April 6th this year, the Intermediate People's Court of Wuzhong City publicly announced the first instance verdict on the case, with up to 90 defendants.

In the first instance, the Wuzhong Intermediate People's Court sentenced Zhao Weidong to 25 years' imprisonment, five years' deprivation of political rights, and confiscation of all personal property according to law for the crimes of organizing and leading criminal organization, organizing prostitution, organizing obscene performances, provoking trouble, illegal detention, concealing accounting vouchers, accounting books, bribery, illegal hunting, etc. The remaining 89 defendants were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from six months to twenty years, with confiscation of all personal property or fines ranging from 20000 to 1.25 million yuan.

The verdict shows that the fact of involvement in organized crime began in 2015.

The first instance trial of the Intermediate People's Court of Wuzhong City found that in 2015, Zhao Weidong and Zhao Weibing obtained Zhao Weigang's consent and used the signs of the Beijing Mingmen Association to attract others to invest more than 8 million yuan in the construction of the Guyuan Mingmen Association at the Jiulong International Commercial Plaza in Guyuan Economic and Technological Development Zone, Ningxia.

Zhao Weidong relied on the Guyuan Mingmen Association to implement corporate management and instructed other defendants to recruit a large number of hostesses from Xi'an, Chengdu and other places, with the marketing department as the core, to seek huge illegal economic benefits through organizing prostitution, providing opposite sex companionship and other pornographic services.

In order to resolve conflicts caused by forced or induced consumption among customers, Zhao Weidong recruited multiple defendants with social stigma and bad behavior to violently "watch the scene", and Zhao Weibing recruited corrupt public officials to seek shelter.

Zhao Weigang provided support for the organization's signage, personnel, funding, and other aspects, playing a positive role in the organization's maintenance, operation, and development. From 2015 to the incident, the criminal organization led by Zhao Weidong, Zhao Weibing and Zhao Weigang organized and implemented violent, illegal and criminal activities such as provocation, illegal detention, forced trading, illegal restriction of personal freedom, which seriously damaged the order of economic and social life and caused significant social impact.

On April 6, 2023, the Wuzhong Intermediate People's Court publicly sentenced 90 defendants, including Zhao Weidong, to organize, lead and participate in criminal organization. Image source: Wuzhong Intermediate People's Court

The Wuzhong Intermediate People's Court held in the first instance that the criminal organizations led by Zhao Weidong, Zhao Weibing, and Zhao Weigang, through corporate management, obtained huge illegal interests by organizing prostitution, pornographic performances, providing profitable attendants, etc., repeatedly committed violent crimes, and bullied the masses for the purpose of non evil, should be identified as criminal organization according to law. Zhao Weidong, Zhao Weibing, and Zhao Weigang's acts constitute the crime of organizing and leading criminal organization.