CCTV9英语新闻：Tomb thieves sentenced for protected relics robbery（在线收听）

A court has sentenced the head of a tomb-raiding ring to death with a two-year reprieve for robbing ancient graves and trafficking in cultural relics stolen from the Hongshan cultural relics protected region.

Chaoyang Intermediate People's Court in Liaoning province on Thursday gave another three key members of the gang life sentences for excavating ancient graves and cultural sites.

Discovered in 1921, the Hongshan region in Liaoning province is a key national relics site and was a candidate for a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage designation in 2013.

The region along the border of Lingyuan and Jianping counties includes a large altar believed to be 5,500 years old.

The court said a gang led by Yao Yuzhong formed a secret chain of workers to conduct the crimes, including some who provided financial support, invested in equipment, excavated the tombs and sold the relics.

Another 18 gang members received sentences ranging from three to 15 years.