Fujian police detain Doomsday instigators

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THREE women and one man were detained on charges of disturbing public order as they spread the Doomsday rumor on the streets of Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province, China Central Television reported today.

They distributed pink leaflets saying the Doomsday was near and only joining their cult could survive the apocalypse. They also handed out of red dates and walnuts as their Chinese pronunciations sound like "escape in time."

They also invite people to write down their names, phone numbers and home addresses on a so-called "Life Book" to sign up as a member of their cult.

Police believed they belonged to an organization that paid them for attracting new members. Police are still probing the case to find their leaders and motives.

In Quanzhou, another city in Fujian, six suspects were detained for cheating innocent people out of money using the Doomsday excuse, and 34 others, mostly middle-aged women, were held in custody for spreading the rumor in public.

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