DHAKA: Two Chinese officials bought corpses from grave robbers to meet government cremation quotas, local media reported, as Beijing pushes to enforce its controversial and highly sensitive burial policies.

The officials from Guangdong province bought the bodies from a man who stole more than 20 in night-time raids on graveyards, the official news agency Xinhua said, citing Chinese media, reports The Straits Times.

‘Both were local officials in charge of funeral management reform,’ said Xinhua, naming them as He and Dong.

‘They told police that they bought the corpses to finish government cremation quota,’ it said, adding that Dong had paid 3,000 yuan each for 10 bodies, while He paid half the price for an unspecified number.

BDST: 1357 HRS, NOV 03, 2014