Grave robbers have left more than 20 old gravesites in the Dalan Dahvar cemetery on the northwestern outskirts of Ulaanbaatar without coffins.

The people who live nearby are used to the sight of the defiled graves, all of which were Chinese.

“There are many graves that have been dug up,” said local resident N. Chuluun. “It’s not an unusual thing to see cranial bones left outside my house.

“I’ve seen people digging up graves. I’ve tried to tell them not to do it and sent them away, but they come back and dig again. People are not scared of digging up graves any more. They go through here often and are used to seeing this.”

Another local resident, P. Lhagvaa, said one of the main reasons for the grave robberies was a lack of firewood. He said people took the coffins in order to have wood to burn.

“I’ve met people a few times who said they had no firewood and were going to use the coffin. But there seems to be other reasons as well. Some dig for improper fun purposes and some to find food and other expensive items left in the coffin.”

Ya. Densmaa, who also lives in the area, said a lot of graves had been dug up last year, but very few had been vandalised this year, which was confirmed by local police.

“Last year we received many calls and complaints about graves being dug up, but this year we haven’t received any calls,” said a local police representative.

People found guilty of digging up graves are usually fined from five to 50 times the minimum pay. If a person is convicted more than once, they can be imprisoned for two to five years.

According to 129th item of 17th chapter of the Mongolian Criminal Law, people found guilty of digging up graves and taking possession of their contents are subject to forced labor.