A gang consisting of 38 people has been convicted in China for tomb robbery, Xinhua reported quoting the court.

According to a statement issued by the Benxi Intermediate People's Court of the Liaoning Province, gang leader Wu Anjie was given a jail term of 11 years and six months. Other sentences ranged from one year to nine years.

The investigation established that the gang was involved in 36 cases of stealing from ancient ruins, including from a state-level protected heritage site dating back 1,000 years. The gang operated from 2006 to 2014.