Red Notice fugitive repatriated to China from Indonesia after 11 years on the run

A Chinese fugitive on Interpol’s Red Notice who is accused of illegally absorbing public deposits and has been on the run for 11 years was repatriated to China from Indonesia on Thursday morning. The police operation marks a new achievement made within the law enforcement cooperation between China and Indonesia.

The suspect, surnamed Liu, illegally solicited substantial funds from the public in the name of investment and high returns between April of 2010 and December of 2012, without approval from regulatory bodies or possessing any legitimate qualification, resulting in significant economic losses.

In early 2013, Liu fled to Indonesia and in March 2013, the Public Security Bureau of Jungar Banner in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region launched an investigation into Liu. In June of the same year, the People’s Procuratorate of Jungar Banner approved the arrest of Liu.

Since the launch of the “fox hunting” operation in 2014, Chinese police have identified Liu as a key fugitive targeted for apprehension and he was listed on the Red Notice from Interpol in November 2014.

Over the past decade, Chinese police have cooperated with Indonesian law enforcement departments on this case, searching for Liu’s whereabouts.

In February of this year, the Indonesian law enforcement department captured Liu. With the support of the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, Liu was repatriated to China.

According to an official in charge of the office of the “fox hunting” operation under China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the successful apprehension of the suspect in this case demonstrates that the public security department will pursue the fugitives to the end with unwavering determination no matter how far the suspects flee, how long they have been on the run or how deeply they have hidden.

Chinese public security authorities warned economic crime suspects who have fled abroad that there is no escape from the long arm of the law. There exists no outlaw country in the world and the only correct way out is to voluntarily return to China and turn themselves in.

This is the second case of “fox hunting” operation reported by the MPS this year. A fugitive surnamed Zhou, who is suspected of raising funds by means of fraud and had been on the run for eight years, was repatriated to China from Singapore on February 7, 2024, according to the ministry.

“Fox hunting” is a special action launched by the MPS targeting fraudulent activities involving false information and scams. Since its launch in 2014, it has safeguarded the public’s economic interests, maintained normal economic order and ensured the social stability, officials said.

In 2023, the office overseeing the “fox hunting” operation organized and directed police in localities to set up more than 30 working groups and traveled to more than 20 countries to apprehend accumulated 1,255 suspects of economic crimes.

As China intensifies its efforts to pursue corrupt officials and criminals fleeing abroad, the “fox hunting” operation has also been incorporated into the “Sky Net” campaign, becoming a more extensive international operation to repatriate fugitives and funds back to China.

Statistics from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, as of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2022, the “Sky Net” campaign had repatriated 10,668 fugitives and recovered 44.79 billion yuan ($6.22 billion) in illicit funds.