Habeas corpses

A few minutes ago, I wrote about what I thought might be "the creepiest transaction of the decade," but I think I've found something to give that a run for its money:

Chinese police have arrested members of a gang suspected of murdering more than 100 disabled or elderly people and selling their corpses in a bizarre scheme to avoid cremations, a newspaper said on Tuesday.

Burials have traditionally been seen as the most respectful way to handle the dead in China, but were discouraged after the Communists came to power in 1949 to conserve farmland and eradicate superstition.

The bodies were bought by wealthy families and sent for cremation in lieu of deceased relatives who were then secretly buried, the South China Morning Post reported.

The killers would trail their victims, usually mentally disabled or elderly people, "drag them into vehicles in remote areas and either strangle or poison them", the newspaper said.

Interestingly, the article doesn't mention whether or not the people who bought the corpses are also being arrested. I don't know anything about Chinese law, but it sounds to me like they're complicit in the murders, especially if they knew where these bodies were coming from.