Nearly three kilograms of gold have been unjustly seized by the Chinese Communist Party police for thirty years without giving any explanation to the parties involved. The officer in charge of the case has since passed away, leaving the gold in limbo, and the victim is seeking justice.
According to mainland Chinese media reports, on May 6, 1996, Liaoning Province resident Pan Yongjia was arrested by the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau at Dalian Zhou Shuizi Airport in Dalian City. The police seized 21 packages of gold products purchased by Pan Yongjia, alleging “speculative trading.”
The “Seizure List” signed and stamped by the police shows that the 21 packages of gold products, including gold necklaces and pendants, were all 18K gold, totaling 2,859.2 grams.
Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau then conducted a detention review of Pan Yongjia. It was not until 11 days later that Pan Yongjia’s family paid a 50,000 RMB bail before the police released him from detention and placed him under release pending trial.
However, since then, there has been no prosecution, no case withdrawal, and no notification to lift the release pending trial. Pan Yongjia has repeatedly inquired about the progress of his case and the return of the gold from the police, but to no avail.
The charge of speculative trading refers to profiting through hoarding and resale, a crime that only existed during the planned economy era of the Communist Party of China. After the Chinese Communist Party revised the Criminal Law in 1997, this charge no longer existed.
Even though the officers who handled the case have passed away, and another one has retired, Pan Yongjia continues to fight for justice.
What is the current status of the case? In a recorded phone conversation on August 20, 2024, between Pan Yongjia and the Gaizhou Public Security Bureau personnel, the police stated that they were unsure of the status of the case.
And what about the 2,859.2 grams of gold? It was reported that the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau once sent a letter to the Gaizhou City People’s Bank to inquire about the gold for sale. The People’s Bank of Gaizhou City replied that due to a flood in 2012 that submerged the old bank premises, the files were lost, and the accounts were destroyed, making it impossible to recover the records. Nearly three kilograms of gold disappeared without a trace, and no one took responsibility for it.
On January 6, 2026, Pan Yongjia, now 76 years old, entrusted a lawyer to file a compensation claim with the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau: first, requesting the return of the illegally seized gold or compensation at the current market price; second, requesting the return of the illegally collected 50,000 RMB bail and payment of interest at the current bank loan rate for thirty years.
Two days later, the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau decided not to accept the claim due to “expiration of the statute of limitations” and issued a written “Decision on Rejection of Criminal Compensation” to Pan Yongjia’s lawyer.
Pan Yongjia appealed this decision to the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau’s superior authority, the Yingkou City Public Security Bureau. Personnel from the Yingkou City Public Security Bureau told the media on April 24th that they were actively reviewing the case.
Under the media’s widespread attention, the Yingkou City Public Security Bureau made a decision on April 30th. The “Decision on Reconsideration of Criminal Compensation” stated that the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau’s decision not to accept the claim did not comply with the regulations and instructed them to “reconsider the decision.”
However, when the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau will “reconsider,” and what decision they will make, remain unknown.
What does 2,859.2 grams of gold represent? According to historical records, in May 1996, the spot gold trading price was around $392 per ounce ($12.60 per gram). Considering that 18K gold contains 75% gold content, the total value of 2,859.2 grams of gold was approximately $27,020. This amount was equivalent to 225 months of income for an average white-collar worker in China at that time, earning around 1,000 RMB per month.
In recent years, the price of gold has skyrocketed, with the spot gold price reaching $4,614 per ounce on May 1, 2026, an increase of nearly 1,200% compared to the past.