China expects long struggle in hunt for corrupt suspects that have fled abroad
Of the 214 suspects that have returned to the mainland so far this year, 78 have come back voluntarily, says the Ministry of Public Security
China’s law enforcement officials must be prepared for a long struggle in the campaign to repatriate corrupt officials that have fled abroad, the Ministry of Public Security said.
Up to the end of May 214 suspects have been returned to the mainland this year.
The government launched Operation Fox Hunt last year to go after suspects that have left China to seek refuge abroad, often taking large sums of money with them, as part of a campaign led by President Xi Jinping to stamp out pervasive corruption.
Speaking at a meeting in the southern province of Guangdong, Meng Qingfeng, who is running the Fox Hunt campaign, urged his team to improve their investigating skills and employ a wide range of tactics to repatriate suspects.
"We must have a long-term battle concept that does not slacken and is persistent," Meng said, according to a ministry statement released on Tuesday.
His team needed to become more professional in trying to encourage suspects back to China, using legal means such as extradition, and also recovering illicit assets, he added.
The South China Morning Post has previously reported that Li Huabo, a former finance official in eastern Jiangxi province, was caught in Singapore. He was returned to the mainland in May and has been accused of fraud involving 94 million yuan (HK$120 million).