Three men who set off a car bomb with a cellphone in Mentougou earlier this year were sentenced to jail terms of four-to-five years last Thursday, reports Beijing Evening News.

Tensions erupted when Deng, a villager in Mentougou, angered Han, a private coal mine owner, by attempting to dig coal in the mine, which had been closed down.

Taking inspiration from television dramas, Deng's friends Cui Gen, Li Tong and Zhou Liangyu planted a home-made bomb under Han's car while it was parked in front of a disco on the night of February 16.

They then dialled a number via a cellphone from a distance of 200 metres to activate the bomb.Han's car and a nearby Jeep caught fire in the blast, but no one was hurt.

The three thought their plan was foolproof since they set off the explosive from a distance, but the method they chose left behind vital clues that allowed police to track them down.

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