Playing card games in China could be more than just a pastime. You may stumble on a small fortune if you keep your eyes open for the faces on the cards and those around you.

A card game player hit the jackpot recently when crime busters in Henan Province went one better than the "Most Wanted Iraqi Playing Cards," fashioned by the US military in late 2003 to help soldiers identify key members of Saddam Hussein's government.

Murder suspect Zhang Zhijun was apprehended on January 26, 71 days after 500,000 packs of playing cards bearing his and 14 other murder suspects' names and pictures were given out to the public.

The 20,000-yuan (US$2,484) reward for information leading to his arrest put Zhang, the king of hearts on the cards, behind bars.

"Had it not been for the playing cards, my days of freedom could have been longer," the haggard-looking fugitive was reportedly heard mumbling after his arrest.

Police authorities were also elated by an avalanche of leads on the whereabouts of the other suspects.

But their joy was short-lived, for soon they were dragged into a whirlpool of debate over their choice of playing cards, instead of conventional mediums such as posters, newspapers, TV and the Internet, to pursue criminal suspects on the run.

Opponents took recourse to a social problem, pointing at the potential risk of reputation damage if police got the wrong person on the list. They also expressed fear that the lasting effect of such playing cards may cast a long shadow on convicts' efforts to reform and resettle back into the community.

The debate still seems to be raging. But shouldn't we welcome the idea to rope in the public in the fight against crime in one of the world's most lightly policed countries?

With a poorly budgeted police force of 1.7 million (only about half of them on the streets), China has fewer police officers per thousand people than the world's average. Nonetheless, they handled 4.6 million criminal cases last year in as big a precinct as 9.6 million square kilometres.

We know that fugitives are prone to commit new crimes to finance their flight from the law. And unless they are brought to justice promptly, public safety could be compromised. Given this situation, can we rely solely on a force already stretched to the limits to do the job?

Card games are a national pastime for the Chinese. Tens of millions while away their time at the table every day. So think of how great a help it can be if the "most-wanted" playing cards can help police involve even a tiny fraction of this population in the fight against crime.

Moreover, this novel medium is more cost-effective than the traditional ones such as posters, newspaper and TV advertisements, for a pack of cards could cost as little as 1.62 yuan (20 US cents).

What about the Internet, then? Well, fugitives are liable to choose hideouts where more often than not people are deprived of this modern means of communication. But they play cards!

And why shouldn't police use cards to chase criminal suspects when an increasing number of businesses are doing so to advertise their products and services?

Accepted, police at times bungle with their fugitive list. But such mistakes are the result of their sloppy work, which irrespective of the medium they choose will have the same repercussions.

So let's have a set of foolproof rules before finalizing the wanted list.

For a start, the list needs to be confined to perpetrators of heinous crimes that carry a life or capital sentence. And the list must be compiled based on hard evidence.

Playing cards are innocent. Go on enjoying the games and watch out for the bounty that may come with it.

Email: zouhr@chinadaily.com.hk

(China Daily 02/17/2006 page4)