Chinese brothers arrested for 'kidnapping' tycoon's mother's ashes The men, named only by their surname, Chen, were ex-convicts who plotted the crime in order to bankroll repairs to their homes, according to a report in the Wuhan Evening News. The case is far from the first in which the deceased have been held to ransom in China and media reports suggest Hubei province is a particular focus for criminals seeking to cash in on the dead. In November last year, Hubei province's Chutian Metropolis Daily reported that a 32-year-old thief named as Mr Wu had been arrested for trying to ransom the ashes of a dead man called Mr Xia. Mr Wu reportedly demanded 300,000 yuan from Mr Xia's son but was caught by police after just 9 hours. In his defence, Mr Wu claimed he had hoped to become rich in order to find a wife. In March 2010, Hubei's Changjiang Daily reported that an unemployed 31-year-old named as Mr Luo had ransomed the ashes of his own grandfather, demanding 100,000 yuan from his uncle. The uncle eventually stumped up 10,000 yuan and the ashes were returned.