Six junior middle school students aged 15 or 16 were charged yesterday with robbing a mobile phone delivery man in Minhang District in August.

 

The six, four of whom practiced judo at school, ambushed the man as he delivered phones the students had ordered online.

 

Minhang District prosecutors alleged yesterday the robbery was planned by two of the students, surnamed Zhang and Li, after their mobile phones were stolen from an Internet cafe.

 

The students then responded to an online advert offering phones paid for on delivery, prosecutors said.

 

Li allegedly ordered three mobile phones valued at 14,950 yuan (US$1,869) and requested the phones be delivered to the district's Jiangchuan Road on August 22.

 

Prosecutors said Zhang sought backup for the robbery from a school friend, surnamed Zhu, who practiced judo.

 

Prosecutors said Zhu was unwilling to help because he knew it was illegal, but also did not want to refuse his friend.

 

Zhu allegedly asked three other judo martial artists to go in his place and promised to pay them 200 yuan each.

 

Prosecutors alleged Zhu told the recruits beating a man was not a crime but robbery was. He told them all they had to do was subdue the delivery man and Zhang and Li would rob him.

 

When the delivery man, surnamed Huang, arrived, Li took him into a residential building where the others were waiting, prosecutors said.

 

The three judo martial artists beat up Huang while Zhang and Li grabbed the mobile phones, according to prosecutors.

 

Minhang District police caught Zhang and Li on August 25.

 

The four others were caught soon after.

 

Zhu allegedly told prosecutors he was not implicated in the crime.

 

Prosecutors said Zhu was guilty of recruiting the three martial artists, even though he did not take part in the robbery directly.

 

(Shanghai Daily December 29, 2006)