Dunhuang Mobile Toilet Incident
The Dunhuang mobile toilet incident was a criminal act that occurred on the G215 national highway between Aksai and Dunhuang, where traps were set using toilets as bait to extort exorbitant towing fees and other improper charges from tourists.
Incident Details
On September 13, 2020, a video drew widespread attention, showing several men blocking passing drivers from assisting in rescuing a caravan stuck in a pit and demanding towing fees. They claimed that only their own company was allowed to provide towing services, and outsiders were not permitted to participate, while charging exorbitant fees. A travel blogger revealed that the sand around the toilets appeared flat, but vehicles passing by were prone to falling into sand pits. A man in white blocked attempts to help with towing, stating that large vehicles required at least two tow trucks, costing 1,500 yuan each, while towing by foot would cost 3,000 yuan. Those not stuck but using the toilet were charged 3 yuan per person. Some netizens also reported that after their vehicles were stuck, they were forced by a nearby hotel owner to spend 400 yuan on special projects before agreeing to help with towing.
Investigation and Handling
Local police received 117 related reports involving a total of 44,100 yuan. On September 14, the official Weibo account of the Dunhuang Municipal Foreign Affairs Office responded, stating that a joint investigation team composed of law enforcement, culture and tourism, public security, and natural resources departments had been established to investigate the situation. On September 25, the Dunhuang public security authorities classified the "trap toilets" as a criminal case for investigation. The police had refunded towing fees totaling 11,440 yuan to the first batch of 36 verified victims. On September 14, five criminal suspects were arrested, and the case was classified as a criminal investigation upon review. On September 15, four of the suspects were criminally detained on suspicion of forced transactions. On December 27, seven suspects, including Di XX, involved in the "trap public toilets" case were prosecuted on suspicion of forced transactions.
Follow-up Measures
Currently, a mobile public toilet has been built on the 215 national highway near Dunhuang city to improve local sanitation facilities and prevent similar incidents from happening again.
