Four citizens in southern China were punished for playing mahjong in the city's coronavirus lockdown and forced to carry the table to the police station.

In the video, shot in the city of Chongqing on February 17, four people can be seen carrying a table together while walking to the station.

According to local authorities, the four people were caught playing mahjong together despite the coronavirus lockdown.

Since they breached the Public Security Administration Regulation, police could have detained them for five days and fined them.

But police considered that they were all first offenders, they were only asked to move the mahjong table from their place to the police station and cannot take it back until the COVID-19 outbreak finishes.

红星新闻记者了解到，此事发生在重庆市梁平区合兴镇。2月17日晚，当地镇政府值班工作人员告诉红星新闻记者，这几人因为赌博被巡查人员发现，“让他们把麻将桌从家里抬到派出所去，这个不叫游街，是训诫。”

视频中一名抬麻将桌的当事人李某告诉红星新闻记者，2月13日下午2点左右，因为闲来无事，自己便和街坊邻居在自家门市打起麻将，“都是知根知底的人，平时也会在一起玩玩麻将。”
“我们当时是把门关了，大概4点多，两名派出所民警和一名辅警不知道怎么进到门市，告知我们说疫情期间明令不能打麻将，并将我们带到派出所”，李某回忆。

李某说，“到派出所后，民警告知我们违反了治安管理条例，按规定应拘留5日并罚款，但念在是初犯，就叫我们回去把麻将桌抬到派出所去，等疫情过去之后再将麻将搬回去”，于是便出现了视频中的那一幕。

李某还称，当时还向派出所写了检讨和保证书。

18日下午，合兴镇派出所一名值班民警告诉红星新闻记者，因为当事人纠集朋友在家里聚众打牌，其中一人还是外省人，“我们当地规定疫情期间禁止打麻将，可能是说了没听，后面就叫当事四人到派出所来，让他们写了保证书。”
（视频由红星新闻提供）

至于为何要让当事人抬麻将桌到派出所，该民警回答称，“就是为了阻止他们打麻将，疫情结束之后将返还。”