A gang of eight dug a 50m underground tunnel in an attempt to steal the ancient treasures inside a 1,400-year-old temple . The real-life tomb raiders began their daring plan by renting a restaurant across the road from Guanghui Temple in Zhengdin County , North China at the start of February . And while serving snacks to the public at the front of the building , a team on the inside was hard at work with shovels , ladders , and power drills - digging their way towards the temple 's famous Hua Pagoda . Audacious plot : A seven-metre deep tunnel , which led to a 50m-long underground passage , was discovered by police when they raided the gang 's property - across the road from Guanghui Temple . Historical site : The temple dates back to the Tang Dynasty and the Hua Pagoda ( pictured ) is nationally protected . The Criminal Investigation Bureau was tipped off about the group 's audacious plan at the beginning of March and a task force was assigned to the case , reports People 's Daily Online . After two days of investigation , police officers located the tunnel and were able to determine its source . They launched a sting operation four days later and five gang members were arrested - all of who confessed to plans to steal artefacts beneath the pagoda . The gang was just 20 metres away from breaching the Hua Pagoda when they were caught . Evidence of plan : Dozens of bags of earth dug up by the gang during their tunnelling were also found by police . Police questioning revealed that the gang 's leader is a man named Zhang from Tianjin , North China . Zhang is a known artefact thief and his associates have also been involved in similar crimes in the past . They were able to hide their construction equipment from the rented property 's landlord for more than a month - as it 's thought they began digging around the Chinese New Year . After removing a board on the restaurant 's floor , police discovered a seven-metre-deep tunnel that opened into a passage leading towards the Hua pagoda located 70 metres away . Almost succeeded : The gang had dug 50 metres towards the Hua Pagoda and were just 20 metres away from breaching it when they were foiled by police . Secret underground lair : The tunnel was around 50 metres long when the criminal gang was caught on March 6 . The tunnel was around 50 metres long when the gang was caught on March 6 . Five were arrested and three people are still on the run . Guanghui Temple was built in Tang Dynasty ( 618-907 AD ) and renovated in the five Dynasties ( 908-960 AD ) . It was destroyed during the war in late Qing Dynasty and the pagoda was the only monument remained intact . The Hua Pagoda is included in the Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level ( MHCSPNL ) in 1961 . Known to police : The gang 's leader , Zhang , who was arrested , has a history of artefact theft . Concealed : The gang were able to hide their construction equipment from the rented property 's landlord for more than a month . Raided by police : Five men were arrested following a tip-off , but three of the gang are now on the run .
Gang hatched an audacious plot to rob Guanghui Temple in North China . Plan involved renting restaurant across the street and digging 70m tunnel . But before they could breach temple , police were tipped off about the heist . Five men were arrested including the gang 's leader , a well-known artefact thief .