Ticket scalpers attack Sichuan police officer
- Source: Global Times
- [02:17 February 22 2010]
- Comments
By Ji Beibei
Six railway police officers were attacked after they tried to inspect a bag carried by train tick-et scalpers in Wusheng county, Sichuan Province.
The Chongqing Evening News reported Sunday that one of the officers, Chen Keyu, suffered a skull fracture after he was hit in the head with a stick.
Chen was taken to Chongqing No. 3 Military Hospital yesterday, his colleague Zhu Wenxi told the Global Times.
"Though his life is not in danger, he couldn't talk or move," Zhu said, adding that the 24-year-old policeman was unable to spend Spring Festival with his family members the past three years because of his busy job.
Chen was hit in the head by a meter-long steel bar when assisting his colleague in the confrontation with the scalpers, Zhu said.
The local police captured the assailant surnamed Wang.
On Thursday, Chongqing railway police were informed that scalpers were selling railway tickets for up to 80 yuan ($11) higher than the face value in a township called Limian in Wusheng county.
Chen and five other officers went to investigate.
Dozens of other scalpers appeared just as Chen and his colleagues tried to check a black bag carried by one scalper. The scalpers attacked the officers who later discovered 24 railway tickets and 45 identity cards in the bag that belonged to ticket buyers.
Chongqing introduced a real-name ticket system that took effect on February 14. To buy a ticket, passengers may visit the ticket window using their identification, such as passport or ID card. They could also call the railway station and tell their identification information. Each ID could be used to purchase three tickets.
"Townships and counties became the places where scalpers pooled due to the tight crackdown of speculative reselling of tickets in big cities," Zhu said.
Zhu said many residents in remote areas are eager to buy train tickets to big cities for a job after the Spring Festival holiday ended. Many of them still had a deep-rooted impression that it was difficult to get a train ticket, and resorted to scalpers.
Chongqing railway police seized 532 railway tickets bought illegally during Spring Festival.
In China, those who sell tickets for 5 yuan and higher over the original price will be defined as scalpers and those who sell it for three times over the original price faces detention.
