Epidemic prevention efforts in China have had the pleasing side effect of enabling the capture of literally thousands of on-the-run fugitives nationwide, thanks in large to increased police checks.
“I can’t stand it … Attention, police officers, I have to turn myself in!” These were the words mid February when a middle-aged man surrendered to the Haicang Branch Criminal Investigation Department of Xiamen Public Security Bureau. Surveillance video showed the man arriving alone and carrying a square snakeskin bag in which were only a quilt and clothes. Surnamed Zhang, his misdemeanours are detailed herein.
Murderers, scammers, robbers, drug lords, burglars and rapists were among the crooks whose long-term evasion of law enforcement came to an end as a matter of procedure during the ongoing execution of epidemic prevention and control measures.
In our very own Jiangsu province alone, some 481 fugitives were apprehended, according to a notice issued by the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Bureau on 23 February. Next door, in neighbouring Anhui Province to the west, 452 wanted persons were arrested. To the east, in Zhejiang Province, arrests numbered 678 persons.
All in all, 1,611 at-large persons across but three provinces of China are now behind bars. They say every cloud has a silver lining.
20 for 20; Fugitives who Evaded Police for 2 Decades
Red Star News has published a list of 20 fugitives who have managed to evade justice for 20 years or more, reported The Paper earlier today, as follows.
- Ma, a native of Peixian, Jiangsu Province, who raped and killed a student, Lin, in Nanjing Medical University 28 years ago, as reported by this publication.
- Wang, a native of Linjiang, Jilin Province, who robbed and killed a taxi driver in February, 1998, on the run in Guizhou Province for 22 years.
- Zhang, a native of Guizhou Province, sentenced to 5 years in prison in 1995 for armed robbery with guns, knives and explosives. He fled while on prison detail and was picked up again in Xiamen after absconding for 20 years.
- Hu, a native of Neihuang County, Henan Province, who murdered three of his neighbour’s family in a dispute over his homestead, arrested in Inner Mongolia after 20 years.
- Liu, a native of Danjiangkou, Hubei Province, who fled after murder in front of a movie theatre. 21 years later, he surrendered to the police in Heyuan, Guangdong Province, motivated by concerns for the safety of his family.
- Xie, a native of Dafang County, Guizhou Province, who beat a person to death in his hometown, arrested after 20 years on the run.
- Luo, a native of Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, after 27 years on the loose in Shunde, Guangdong Province, arrested in his hometown of Jintan in Changzhou.
- Xu, a homicide fugitive for 21 years, arrested in the ancient walled town of Taihe County, Fuyang, Anhui Province.
- Wei, a native of Pingguo County, Guangxi Province, who murdered his wife and hid in Anhui Province for 27 years.
- Zheng, a native of Huaibei, Anhui Province, 27 years ago, who fled with his wife after killing a villager in his hometown, later arrested in Changji, Xinjiang Province.
- Xin, a native of Wei County, Hebei Province, fled after suffocating some villagers 25 years ago, arrested despite pretending to be deaf and dumb.
- Han, a native of Fuping, Shaanxi Province, who beat several people to death 22 years ago, and fled to Dongguan, Guangdong Province, arrested after refusing an epidemic prevention inspection.
- Wang, a native of Taikang County, Henan Province, who absconded after a rape 20 years ago.
- Ma, born in Shangluo, Shaanxi Province, who escaped after arrest in 1995 for the murder of his wife.
- Zeng, a native of Dalian, Liaoning Province, who committed murder over a trivial matter, and fled to Inner Mongolia, apprehended after 25 years on the run.
- Liu, in Shandong Province, who fled after killing a villager with his brother, arrested after 22 years.
- Zou, from Jianli County, Hubei Province, who killed a colleague in their factory dormitory over a trivial matter, and fled to spend 21 years as a beggar, arrested in Fengxin County, Jiangxi Province.
- Wu, a native of Fengyang County, Anhui Province, who used a firearm to commit murder during a dispute over the irrigation of ponds and paddy fields, arrested after 25 years.
- Huang, a native of Lingao County, Hainan Province, who stabbed his roommate to death over a trivial matter in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, captured after 26 years.
37 Years as a “Professional Fugitive”
- Saving the longest for last, Dao, a man from Mangshi, Dehong Prefecture in Yunnan Province, who committed murder with a hoe in a dispute over the problem of paddy field irrigation. Following the incident on 18 August, 1983, Dao escaped to live abroad. After 37 years away, Dao believed that the crime would never be discovered, so he planned on quietly returning to domestic life. He was wrong. During the epidemic prevention and control, Dao was quickly arrested, having changed from a young man to a 62-year-old.
The capture of these suspects and thousands more like them mean that China is not only now a cleaner place to live, her citizens are also now much less at risk from the criminal fraternity.
