Fox Hunt 2022 to build on success of past

The Ministry of Public Security recently launched this year's Fox Hunt, an annual special operation that targets suspected financial fugitives.

It is a significant element of the Sky Net campaign which seeks to repatriate corrupt officials who have fled abroad.

Public security organs were asked to work all-out to find and arrest fugitive financial suspects, and expand means for asset recovery.

The police will assist discipline inspection and supervision departments in pursuing fugitives and in recovering stolen assets, the ministry said.

Public security organs will cooperate with the People's Bank of China to prevent the transfer of stolen money abroad via offshore companies and underground banks, and strengthen money laundering efforts, it said.

Last year, police arrested many economic fugitives and recovered about 1.4 billion yuan ($220 million) in stolen funds during Fox Hunt 2021.

In one case solved last year, a suspect surnamed Zheng worked with accomplices to illegally defraud 30.27 million yuan in funds from 253 people between July 2013 to December 2014 in the guise of real estate investments. Victims were lured by the promise of high-interest returns.

Zheng fled overseas in April 2015, and police in Baofeng county in Henan province filed for investigation.

In June 2015, the county procuratorate issued an arrest warrant for Zheng on suspicion of illegally absorbing public deposits. Five months later, Interpol issued a red notice.

The Ministry of Public Security's Fox Hunt Operation Office instructed authorities to prepare evidence and requested the assistance of overseas law enforcement departments.

Zheng was repatriated to China in August 2021. The case remains under investigation.