China’s ‘crime-fighting’ pop star Jacky Cheung adds 12 crooks, two drones to his tally
Police in Sichuan province apprehend ‘about a dozen’ suspects for petty crimes as ‘God of Songs’ passively reinforces his reputation
Hong Kong Canto-pop star Jacky Cheung’s unlikely association with crime-fighting got another boost at the weekend when about a dozen people were arrested at his concert in southwest China.
The so-called God of Songs, who has sold more than 25 million records in his decades-long career, first became associated with foiling fugitives in April when a known criminal was identified with the help of facial recognition software at his gig at Nanchang, east China’s Jiangxi province.
In the following weeks, two more fugitives were apprehended at separate performances by the crooner – also with the help of the new technology – while a further five were picked up at gigs across the country in the months that followed.
The incidents earned Cheung the nickname “enemy of fugitives” online, and the performance in Sichuan province on Friday showed once again that his concerts are no place for criminals.
According to a report by Chengdu Business Daily on Monday, “more than 12” people were arrested while attending the event at the Suining Hedong Sports Centre. The charges ranged from pickpocketing mobile phones to scamming would-be concertgoers by selling fake tickets or pretending to be venue employees, it said.
In a television interview in May, Cheung made light of his association with fighting crime and even joked about his popularity among the criminal fraternity.
“I guess everyone needs entertainment no matter what they do,” the 57-year-old said. “It just so happens that some are crooks.”