Hangzhou Police Station has recently arrested a burglary ring which included 14 HIV carriers, the Shanghai Morning Post has reported. It is the first time in China that HIV-carrying criminal suspects have ever been detained by police.

On November 17, the police rounded up the burglary ring comprising 26 residents of Luzhai, in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Most of those arrested claimed to be HIV carriers.

After medical tests, 14 were confirmed as carriers of the fatal virus. Others were also found to be infected with tuberculosis and hepatitis. To make matters worse, many of the HIV-carrying suspects confessed to the police that they had often used prostitutes during their stay in Hangzhou.

A suspect identified as Tan told the police that some had deliberately contracted AIDS to scare off the police, and he himself was one such example.

Tan used a syringe to extract blood from one HIV carrier in the ring and injected it into his own body. Even more stupid and worrying was that many were not disturbed by contracting AIDS. Instead they all believed that the only way to treat AIDS was to take drugs. Every night they went out to steal and then brought drugs. As many shared syringes, the infection spread easily.

Some had been captured by police before, but each time they were released simply because they were HIV carriers.

It was reported that early in March, the police station in Hangzhou seized 10 burglars. Most came from Guangxi. Among the 10, five were HIV carriers. The police had to release the five after discovering that fact.

Official statistics show that in the past six years, over 100 HIV-carrying thieves were seized. Most were youths, with the youngest being only 12 years old. In all these cases, the burglars were released, which just increased their boldness.

The police were worried that it might be hard to prevent the virus from infecting others in prison, the newspaper said.

Now, police have opened special cells and purchased daily necessities for the detainees. Police officers working on the case have also been provided with special helmets, masks and gloves to protect themselves. Disinfection is conducted frequently.

The tough issue of how to deal with HIV-infected criminals has become a hot topic these days. Some cities, such as Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province, are planning to set up special hospitals to both treat and detain these rare criminals, which could be a good solution to the problem.

(Shanghai Star   November 29, 2003)