China nabs 288 financial crime suspects overseas

Fugitive ends life on the lam

Police cooperate to help extradite Chinese fugitives

China has rounded up 288 financial crime suspects overseas since Fox Hunt 2014, a special operation in July that moved against suspects hiding abroad, the public security authority said on Monday.

Of those caught, 126 were brought back to confess their crimes and 81 are suspected of being involved in financial cases worth over 10 million yuan each, the Ministry of Public Security said.

Those caught also include 21 criminals who have been on the run for more than 10 years, the ministry said.

Earlier reports say that about 18,000 Chinese officials have fled overseas during the past two decades. The illicit money taken away by these officials exceeds 800 billion yuan ($129 billion), more than the annual revenue of the biggest telecommunication corporation of the nation, according a report of People's Bank of China.

While many fleeing officials have chosen Europe as their destination, more have fled to Asia-Pacific nations, especially Canada, Australia and the United States, where there are large well-established Chinese communities.

Related: Net set to stop 'foxes' fleeing

Graft manhunt nets 180 suspects who fled abroad

China nabs another six economic crime suspects

'Corrupt Queen' to be extradited as another fox hunt

US, Canada, Australia top spots for fugitive Chinese official