Police impersonator runs out of luck

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-04 07:51

Zhang Haitao, 28, who had been impersonating a police officer for the past three years, offering advice on traffic violation cases, was arrested on Tuesday in Zhengzhou, Henan province.

Zhang visited a traffic police unit in Zhengzhou on Tuesday afternoon to have a chat with his "colleagues", Dahe Daily said.

Wei Youyong, chief of the traffic unit, said Zhang had been a frequent visitor and sometimes offered advice on traffic cases.

He said the police had earlier received a tip-off that Zhang was an impersonator.

Police officer An Haixing (left) and a colleague question Zhang Haitao (center) on Tuesday. [China Daily]

Zhang was confronted about his identity. He was also found to be in possession of two fake police ID badges.

Zhang was transferred to the security police for further questioning, the newspaper said.

Zhang said he used to be a security guard at a bus terminal from 1999 to 2002 and then became unemployed.

He told police he found a winter police uniform on a street in November 2005. The uniform belonged to police officer An Haixing who had reported it stolen from his car.

Zhang said he subsequently bought a police summer uniform, a police belt, a cap, and ID badges, all fake, for less than 100 yuan ($14.5).

He said he found a police walkie-talkie on a roadside in 2007.

Zhang said he wanted to be a police officer since childhood, but did not qualify having only a primary education. He told his wife he was working temporarily at a police traffic unit.

Zhang claimed he had caused no harm to anyone - all he did was try to persuade his "colleagues" to impose less harsh punishments on traffic violators.

Zhang, however, was not aware he was causing a lot of trouble for the genuine officer An. He had been summoned to the police disciplinary agency twice this year because of complaints.

On one occasion An was accused of refusing to pay the owner of a shop for repairs to his bicycle.

On another, some people filed a complaint against An for mishandling a traffic dispute. They had reported the police ID number appearing on his uniform.