Advertisement
Crime in China
ChinaPolitics

North Korean fugitive recaptured in China after more than 40 days on the run

  • Prisoner broke out of jail in Jilin City just two years short of completing his 11-year sentence for illegal entry into China, larceny and robbery
  • Police say he was taken back into custody on Sunday morning

Reading Time:1 minute
Why you can trust SCMP
2
Zhu Xianjian, 39, has been recaptured after more than 40 days on the run from a prison in Jilin City. Credit: Handout
Agence France-Presse

Chinese police have captured a North Korean prisoner who staged a daring escape from jail in October and had been on the run for more than 40 days, authorities said on Sunday.

Officials in northeast China offered a US$23,000 bounty for the recapture of the escapee, in a manhunt that sparked massive interest on social media.

The 39-year-old prisoner, identified by the Chinese name Zhu Xianjian, was jailed in China after fleeing reclusive North Korea.

Advertisement

He escaped the facility in Jilin City by scaling a shed and vaulting the outer wall on October 18, and managed to stay at large before being captured on Sunday.

02:17

North Korean inmate escapes from Chinese prison

North Korean inmate escapes from Chinese prison

A one-line statement from Jilin police said he was apprehended at about 10am, without giving more details.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x