154 'foxes' surrender before deadline

Atleast154fugitivessuspectedofeconomiccrimeshaveturnedthemselvesinaheadoftheDec1,deadlinewhichgrantslighterpunishmentamidthe"FoxHunt2014"campaign,theBeijingNewsreportedon Nov.27.

OnOct10,theSupremePeople'sCourt,theSupremePeople'sProcuratorate,theMinistryofPublicSecurityandtheMinistryofForeignAffairsreleasedajointstatementurgingeconomicfugitivestosurrenderthemselvestojustice.

ThosewhoconfessedtheircrimesandreturnedtoChinavoluntarilywouldbegivenalighterormitigatedpunishmentiftheydidsobeforeDec1,2014,accordingtotheannouncement.

Themovewaspartofthe"FoxHunt2014"campaignlaunchedonJuly22.Theoperationfocusesoncatchingeconomiccriminals,includingcorruptofficialswhofledoverseas.

ByDec1,atotalof335fugitivesuspectshavebeencaughtinthe"FoxHunt2014"operation.Thenumberismorethantwiceoftheamountinlastyear'scampaign.

Whereaboutsofthe"foxes"

Thelatestofficialdatashowsthat43ofthefugitivesseizedwerefromZhejiang,rankingtopamongalltheprovinces.Guangdongfollowswith42suspectscaptured.

Accordingtothepolice,suspectshavesetfootindozensofcountriesandregions.ApartfromfavoredplacesliketheUnitedStatesandCanada,manyothercountrieahavebecometopdestinations.Vietnam,Laos,Angola,Egypt,MexicoandFijiareamongthefugitives'safehavens.

Some"foxes"evenlivedinmultiplecountriesduringtheirflight.AsuspectfromShanxiprovincewhosurrenderedhadstayedinmorethan10countries.

"IwenttoanislandcountryinAfricaatfirst,butfeltunsafethere.AfterafewdaysIleftforSwazilandwhichhasnodiplomaticrelationswithChina",saidthesuspect.

Someotherfugitiveschosetofleetonearbycountries.TwoofthesixcapturedsuspectsfromHeilongjiangprovincehidinRussia,andInnerMongolia'sonlyfugitivewasfoundinMongolia.

Amongallthecapturedfugitives,20hadbeenlivingoverseasforover10years,withthelongestclocking16yearsabroad.

Huntingneverends

The"foxes"whodidn'tturnthemselvesinbeforethedeadlinewillstillbethetargetsofthehunt,accordingtoanannouncement.

"Thehuntingoftheeconomicfugitiveswillneverendaslongastherearesuspects",saidLiuDong,anofficialofthe"FoxHunt2014"campaign.

TheCPCCentralCommissionforDisciplineInspectionispreparingadatabaseofthefugitives,whichwillbemadepubliconitsofficialwebsite,accordingtotheBeijingNewsreport.Helpfulinformationwillbecollectedfromaroundtheglobe.

ByNovember,thecountryhad39extraditiontreatieswith39countries,ofwhich29havecomeintoeffect,and52criminaljudicialassistancetreaties,ofwhich46arealreadyineffect.

Chinahasestablishedconsultationmechanismsforlaw-enforcementcollaborationwiththeUnitedStatesandCanada,puttingthingsinplaceforproject"FoxHunt"tosucceed.

TheAPECeconomicleadersagreedinNovembertofightagainstcorruptionanddenysafehavenstothecorruptofficialsandtheirill-gottenassetsinajointdeclaration.

AttherecentG20summitinBrisbane,Australia,thecountriesconcernedpassedananti-corruptionprogramofaction,agreeingtosetupanetworkforanti-graftcooperationandcommittingthemselvestoextendingmutualjudicialassistanceandeliminatingsafehavensforcorruptofficials.

"Thecooperationagreementsbetweencountriesprovidelegalbasistohunteconomicfugitives",saidHuangFeng,directoroftheInternationalCriminalLawInstituteofBeijingNormalUniversity.

"Thenextstepistoresearchthelegalsystemofothercountries,seekingformoresupportbesidestheextraditiontreaty",hesaid."RelateddepartmentsshouldalsoimprovetheircapabilityinInternationalcooperation".