Man in Liaoning Reaches Settlement, Withdraws Compensation Claim After Return of Gold Seized Three Decades Ago

A man in Liaoning province has received a final resolution regarding the seizure of 2,859 grams of gold from him 30 years ago.

On June 12, it was learned that the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau in Liaoning has returned the property to the man, Pan Yongjia, and reached a settlement with him.

Pan has subsequently withdrawn his application for state compensation.

In May 1996, Pan Yongjia was taken away by the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau at Dalian Zhou Shuizi Airport on suspicion of smuggling.

At the same time, the 2,859.2 grams of gold he was carrying was confiscated.

Pan stated that the gold was purchased legally.

That year, after his wife paid a 50,000 yuan bail, he was released and granted bail pending further investigation.

However, for the next 30 years, he never received a formal conclusion to the case—there was no notice of case withdrawal, no decision to terminate the investigation, and no notification of the bail being lifted.

The question of how the case was concluded and whether the gold could be retrieved remained unanswered.

In January 2026, Pan, through his lawyer, formally submitted an application for state compensation.

However, the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau quickly issued a "Decision of Non-acceptance," citing that his request had exceeded the statutory time limit.

Pan disagreed and applied for a review with the Yingkou City Public Security Bureau.

This time, the situation took a turn.

After review, the Yingkou City Public Security Bureau determined that the non-acceptance decision by the Gaizhou bureau did not comply with relevant regulations.

On April 28, it issued a "Decision on Review of Criminal Compensation," ordering the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau to rehandle the matter.

On June 12, 2026, the matter finally reached a conclusion.

According to reports, the Gaizhou City Public Security Bureau has returned the property seized from Pan all those years ago.

The two parties have reached a settlement, and Pan has withdrawn his application for state compensation.

This three-decade-long dispute over the detained gold has thus come to an end.