China arrests nearly 1,000 doomsday cult members in total
Think circulating the latest end of the world rumors is harmless? Not in China, where authorities have arrested over 500 people for spreading word about the world’s impending apocalypse.
China has now arrested a total of almost 1,000 'doomsday cult' members.
Police carried more arrests of members of the Almighty God sect who believe the world will end on December 21, the last day of the Mayan long count calendar, according to the BBC.
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The sect believes the world will end on Friday, ushered in by three days of darkness, according to BBC News.
It has urged its members to overthrow communism, which could explain why China has taken a hard line stance with the cult.
CNN International reported the cult, founded in 1990 in central China, claim "only they could save people's lives" and go door-to-door spreading their message.
CNN said police have detained most of the members for five to 10 days for disrupting social order, according to Chinese media agency Xinhua, and cracked down on the 'doomsday cult' by seizing "a large number of leaflets, banners, computer discs, slogans, books and printing machines."