BEIJING -- Police have found that an alleged robbery in which a Taiwan resident had his left hand cut off had been staged by the victim himself, a spokesperson with the Chinese mainland confirmed here on Wednesday.

Local police announced the results of their investigation on Monday, said Fan Liqing, spokeswoman with the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office (SCTAO), at a regular press conference.

Hu Chi-yang from Taiwan told police in southeast China's Fujian province on Nov. 4 that armed attackers robbed him and cut off his left hand with a knife, according to local police.

Based on an investigation and analysis of evidence, police confirmed that Hu had cut off his own hand, Fan said.

Police detected narcotics in his blood and found the knife he had dumped, which supported their conclusion.

Police also found that Hu had purchased life insurance with a high pay-out before entering the mainland on Nov. 3.

During the investigation, mainland police maintained close contact with their Taiwan counterparts and promptly informed them of developments, Fan said.

The two sides worked together and assisted each other in the case, Fan said.

They will handle the follow-up on the case according to the agreement on jointly combating crimes and judicial cooperation, she said.

In an unrelated case, Chen Shih-hwai, a university student from Taiwan, has been arrested for carrying a large number of credit cards and the case is still under investigation, she said.