Thailand extradites man who illegally collected public deposits in China

Chinese police, on Friday, brought back a man from Thailand surnamed Li, who is suspected of illegally collecting public deposits, the Ministry of Public Security said on Tuesday.

The extradition was done with assistance from the Chinese embassy in Thailand and Thailand's law enforcement departments, the ministry said in a statement.

Li, who wasn't qualified to absorb public deposits, fabricated false information that his company was financially robust, delivering good economic returns and would soon get listed on the stock market, the ministry said.

Claiming that the company would expand its business, Li illegally collected more than 300 million yuan ($41.77 million) from more than 800 people, using high interest rates as the lure, according to the ministry.

Li fled overseas after his case was detected by the police.

In September 2023, a procuratorate in Shangqiu, Central China's Henan province, approved the arrest of Li. In October 2024, Interpol issued a red notice for Li. In June this year, Thai authorities captured him and ruled that he should be extradited back to China.

The extradition of Li is a result of deepened law enforcement and judicial cooperation between China and Thailand and strengthened mutual trust between the two countries, an official at the ministry said.

It also shows Chinese police's firm determination to protect people's property, and will serve as a positive example for China to establish and deepen law enforcement cooperation with other countries in the future, the official said.