Guangdong dragnet nabs hundreds of fugitives

Police across Guangdong province detained 638 fugitives in the first quarter of the year, a senior police officer said.

The fugitives, who were detained during two campaigns code-named Jufeng 1 and Jufeng 2 — or "hurricane" in English — include 46 suspects who had been on the lam for more than a decade, according to the Guangdong Public Security Department.

"One had been on the police wanted list for 14 years," said Liang Ruiguo, political commissar of the department's Criminal Investigation Bureau.

In addition to seven fugitives suspected of involvement in homicides, most detainees were found to have been involved in organized crime syndicates, gun-related offenses and telecom fraud, Liang said at a news conference in Guangzhou on Monday.

"Jufeng 1 and Jufeng 2, launched between January and March, achieved very good results in Guangdong's campaign to pursue and capture escaped criminals this year," he said.

He urged fugitives to surrender to police, as law enforcement officials across the province have vowed to do what they can to bring them to justice.

Liang indicated that additional campaigns and operations will be launched to hunt down more fugitives this year.

Meanwhile, residents have been encouraged to provide tipoffs to police on the whereabouts of any fugitives, he added.

"Police have posted rewards of up to 200,000 yuan ($31,495) for the capture of some fugitives suspected of committing serious crimes," he added.