Authorities have taken into custody three people who stole a pair of candle holders from the Ming imperial tombs, Beijing police said Saturday. 

The suspects - two from Beijing and one from central China's Henan Province - were involved in organized relic theft, police said. 

The mausoleums were built for Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) emperors. The missing white marble candle holders, which are about 90 centimeters tall and weighed 200 kilograms each, were placed in front of the mausoleum of the last Ming emperor Chongzhen.

A Xinhua report said a police officer who declined to be named said the candle holders went missing in May but officials tried to cover up their absence by saying they had been sent for repairs. 

However, last month, the candle holders became a heated topic online when a visitor shared contrasting photographs of the tombs. In the newer images, two vases and an incense burner were still there but the candle holders, which were visible in photographs he took earlier, were gone, leaving only their bases.

Four officials were sacked for "incompetence" Thursday, with a further investigation continuing. 

Located about 40 kilometers north of downtown Beijing, the Ming Tombs were listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2003.