A MEMBER of the Falungong has been arrested in connection with the murders of 16 vagrants and homeless people found dead on the streets of Wenzhou of Zhejiang Province between May 26 and June 26.

　　Medico-legal experts found that the 16 dead had all been poisoned by Dushuqiang, a brand of rat and mice poison.

　　Chen Zhaofu, the suspected mass murderer, a member of the Falungong, is said to have killed the 16 homeless people in accordance with Falungong doctrine, Chinanews net reported.

　　On June 26, police found the bodies of the last victims of a series of murders of homeless people dead on the streets of Longgang Town of Wenzhou.

　　All the 16 dead were found to have vomited white liquid before dying and all were aged between 50 and 70.

　　The authorities put more than 500 police on the case and after five days of investigation, they arrested 29-year-old Chen for the murders.

　　Chen, a resident of Longgang Town, told police that the dead vagrants and homeless people were not at the highest levels of human existence according to the theories of Falungong. So killing them, Chen said, would be an effective way to improve his standing in the Falungong. Chen told police he had committed the mass murder to "improve" himself.

　　From May 26 to June 26, he said he administered 17 does of poison which had killed 16 and left one intended victim still in hospital. (Star News)