125 Detentions in 2 Days! Christians from The Church of Almighty God Arrested in Maoming and Heyuan, Guangdong

Between June 1 and June 2, 2022, in just two days, the CCP police launched coordinated arrest operations in the cities of Maoming and Heyuan, Guangdong Province, detaining at least 125 Christians from The Church of Almighty God (CAG).

A family member of one arrested Christian in Maoming revealed: “At 2 a.m., police raided our home. They confiscated my wife’s computer, bank cards, and money from our land dividends. They also held a stack of photos and documents, interrogating her until dawn, pressuring her to reveal information about church leaders and other Christians.”
An informed source disclosed that some of the arrested Christians had been under surveillance for a year or more, with tracking devices installed on their electric bicycles. Due to the police’s prior preparations, nearly 70 Christians were arrested in Maoming alone over two days. Most arrests occurred in the early morning, with police sometimes using the pretext of “pandemic checks” to trick Christians into opening their doors.
One arrested Christian stated: “The police showed me a photo of myself opening my door, claiming it was taken through satellite surveillance. They use these satellites to track our movements.” Many Christians released after detention reported that police used photos of their movements during interrogations.
As reported on July 27, 2020, by Deutsche Welle (DW) in “China Retains Title as World’s Most Surveilled Nation,” China accounts for half of the world’s surveillance cameras. Extensive surveillance systems known as “Skynet” and “Sharp Eyes” are widely used to track, locate, and arrest religious believers. One CCP police officer admitted that undercover agents are planted within churches to gather internal information, including details about church leaders and co-workers. One arrested Christian was shocked to see CCP files clearly documenting the roles of some Christians within her church.
According to incomplete statistics, at least 40 Christians were arrested in Heyuan on June 1 and 2. Their homes were ransacked, and they were pressured to reveal church information and sign statements renouncing their faith and materials blaspheming God.
A Christian arrested in Heyuan shared that, because she refused to sign the statements, police shackled her hands and feet to a “tiger bench,” shone bright lights directly into her eyes, and threatened her with imprisonment.
Some Christians narrowly escaped this round of arrests, but police continue to harass their families through home visits or phone calls. Many Christians have been forced to flee their homes, unable to return, and are suffering immense emotional distress.
One Christian arrested on June 1 was briefly released but taken again on June 4, and their whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
As of June 9, arrests of Christians in Heyuan and Maoming continued to take place.