ZHENGZHOU, Dec. 20 -- Six members of a robbery and murder gang in central China have been officially arrested after they allegedly killed nine people in the past year, local government said Friday.

Police began investigating the case after a villager surnamed Zhang reported to them that he was robbed in Liangbei Township, Yuzhou City, Henan Province, on Nov. 17.

Police had captured all six members of the gang by Dec. 14, including a key figure surnamed Li.

The suspects allegedly killed a total of nine people -- three male and six female -- in multiple cases since December 2012, according to police investigations.

Police denied the rumor that the internal organs of the victims had been removed.