Over 230 fugitives who were suspected of economic crimes and
fled China have been repatriated from more than 30 countries and
regions since 1998, according the Ministry of Public Security
Friday.
"The repatriation of these suspects clearly show that absconding
overseas cannot help them escape legal penalties," said Gao Feng,
deputy director of the Economic Crime Investigation Department of
the ministry.
He noted that their repatriation is helpful to investigating
related cases and retrieving economic losses timely.
The return of Yu Zhendong, former president of the Kaiping city
branch of the Bank of China
in Guangdong, was considered a good example.
Suspected of embezzling US$485 millions, Yu fled to the United
States in 2001, but was repatriated to China on April 16, 2004. All
the illicit money confiscated by the US federal police was also
returned to China.
Meanwhile, the case was widely applauded as an outcome of
successful criminal judicial cooperation between China and the
United States.
Targeting growing transnational economic crimes in recent years,
Chinese police had strengthened cooperation with overseas law
enforcement departments in intelligence exchange, case
investigation, retrieval of illegal money and police training, Gao
said.
Also according to the ministry, Chinese police have cracked
277,000 cases involving economic crimes, seized 262,000 suspects
and retrieved economic losses valued at 67 billion yuan (US$8.1
billion) since 2000.
Hu Anfu, director of the ministry's Economic Crime Investigation
Department, said the crackdown on economic crimes was of great
importance in rectifying and standardizing the market order and in
maintaining economic security and social stability.
To fight economic crimes effectively, public security
departments at all levels have launched a series of special
campaigns against tax-related crimes, smuggling, production and
sales of fake goods, illegal pyramid sales, counterfeit of
financial bills and notes, securities-related crimes and production
of counterfeit money.
Since 1999, Chinese police have seized 2.2 billion yuan (US$266
million) worth of counterfeit money and 56,000 suspects in over
40,000 cases.
The police have also cracked 35,000 tax-related cases,
retrieving 15 billion yuan (US$1.8 billion) in losses since
2001.
To protect the interests of intellectual property rights (IPR)
owners, the police have also strengthened fights against IPR
infringement, cracking 1,040 related cases, seizing 1,531 suspects
and redeeming economic losses valued at 116 million yuan (US$14
million) in 2002. The number of IPR-related cases was reduced to
823 in 2003, with 1,153 suspects seized and 88.4 million yuan
(US$10.7 million) retrieved.
(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2004)