CHINA / SOCIETY
Update: Foreign escapee from Jilin prison shows up at wedding banquet
Published: Oct 28, 2021 11:58 PM Updated: Nov 10, 2021 10:08 PM
An updated reward notice issued by the local police

A notice issued by the local police


A foreign prisoner who escaped from a jail in Jilin City, Northeast China's Jilin Province on October 18 is still at large as of Thursday. An updated reward notice issued by the local police said that the escaped prisoner might have disguised himself by changing his clothes or wearing makeup. 

According to the updated notice, the prisoner, Zhu Xianjian (transliteration), is 160 centimeters tall. He was wearing prison work clothes and a dark sweater when he escaped, but he might have changed clothes to evade capture. 

The police asked the public to pay attention to places that are easy to hide in, such as empty houses or cellars, as well as haystacks, barns, abandoned mines, caves and culverts. Those who can provide clues leading to his arrest will be rewarded up to 150,000 yuan ($23,469). 

A local resident surnamed Sun in Changchun, capital of Jilin, told the Global Times recently that authorities have stepped up efforts in checking the trunks of vehicles passing by at different checkpoints, an enhanced security measure to ensure that the suspect does not escape by car. 

Earlier information indicated that Zhu might have been hiding near a village in Fengman district in Jilin city. Local police have been searching for days, according to Nanfang Metropolis Daily. 

A notice issued by the police in Tongliao city in Jilin's neighboring Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region showed different clothes worn by the prisoner compared with his initial appearance. 

The notice issued on October 20, two days after he escaped, showed that he wore a dark jacket, dark trousers and white sneakers, which were all worn out and too big for him. He also carried a brown 50-centimeter long and 30-centimeter high bag. 

Global Times

An updated reward notice issued by the local police

A notice issued by the local police



A foreign prison breaker who escaped on October 18 from a jail in Jilin city, Northeast China's Jilin Province allegedly showed up at a wedding banquet in Yongji county in Jilin claiming to be a friend of the bride, according to media reports on Wednesday. 

On Tuesday, the police of Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin Province raised the reward for information leading to the man's capture to 200,000 yuan ($31,293). While police are not revealing exact details, the prisoner is from a country neighboring China and has been named as Zhu Xianjian (transliteration). He has been at large for 23 days as of Wednesday. 

An anonymous source told media that Zhu had appeared at the wedding banquet and had claimed to be a friend of the bride. 

According to previous media reports, Zhu is suspected to be hiding out in mountains to the southwest of the prison from which he escaped, around 12 kilometers from the jail. Police in Jilin reminded local residents to keep alert and to call police if they see any signs of the escaped man.  

The prisoner escaped while he was at work inside the jail. Authorities have not said how he managed to escape. He was wearing prison clothes at the time. The updated reward notice issued by local police said the escapee, who is 1.6 meters tall, would have disguised or camouflaged himself by changing his clothes and wearing makeup. 

The police asked the public to pay attention to places that are easy to hide in such as empty properties, cellars, haystacks, barns, abandoned houses, abandoned mines, caves, shacks and culverts. 

A local resident surnamed Sun in Changchun, capital of Jilin, told the Global Times that authorities have stepped up efforts to track down the escapee, and they are checking the trunk of every vehicle passing through checkpoints.  

Earlier information shows that Zhu might have been hiding near a village in Fengman district in Jilin city and that police have been scoring the area for days, according to Nanfang Metropolis Daily. 

A notice issued by police in Tongliao city in the neighboring North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region showed different clothes worn by the prisoner compared with his initial appearance. 

The notice issued on October 20, two days after he escaped, showed that he was wearing a dark jacket, dark trousers and white sneakers, which were all worn out and too big for him. He was carrying a brown bag 50 centimeters long and 30 centimeters high. 

Global Times