Fugitive criminals extradited back to China

According to the Ministry of Public Security, more than 800 fugitive criminals have been extradited back to China to face justice over the past 8 years. Most of these fugitives were officials suspected of corruption, employees of State-owned enterprises and people working in the financial sector.

Lai Changxing is one of China's most notorious fugitives. He was found guilty of running a huge smuggling ring. Lai escaped to Canada on a tourist visa in 1999. He was extradited to China in July 2011 after a federal court in Canada rejected his appeal to suspend the repatriation order. Lai was convicted in May 2012 of smuggling commodities and offering bribes and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Yu Zhendong, a former director of a Bank of China branch, escaped to the US after he was found guilty of corruption and embezzlement of 483 million US dollars. He was extradited to China by the US in April 2004. His case marks the first 'Greedy Official' to be repatriated by the US.

Gao Shan is another well-known fugitive; now back in China to face charges of financial fraud. Also a former director of a Bank of China branch, he embezzled nearly 300-million yuan of the bank's assets between 2000 and 2004. He then fled overseas, spending eight years on the run in Canada. He surrendered himself in August 2012.