China launches Sky Net for 2024, an anti-corruption operation. Photo: CCTV

China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has deployed the public security departments nationwide to launch the Fox Hunt 2024 campaign to repatriate economic fugitives who have fled abroad, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said on Tuesday. 

The Fox Hunt 2024 special operation is an important component of the Sky Net 2024 anti-graft operation launched by the office of the international pursuit of fugitives, asset recovery and transnational anti-corruption governance under the Central Anti-Corruption Coordination Group. 

Public security organs will, in accordance with the requirements of the deployment, intensify efforts to tackle key cases of pursuing fugitives and recovering assets, effectively enhancing the quality and efficiency of such work, deepening and expanding channels of law enforcement cooperation. 

According to the officials from the MPS, the nationwide public security organs will comprehensively implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and the second plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, deepen the Fox Hunt 2024 special operation from the perspective of safeguarding national interests and security, to better serve the central anti-corruption struggle and the battle to prevent and defuse major risks, and effectively safeguard national security and social stability. 

The MPS has been coordinating nationwide Fox Hunt operations for 10 consecutive years, achieving remarkable results. With the overall coordination of the office of the international pursuit of fugitives under the Central Anti-Corruption Coordination Group and the strong support and assistance from relevant departments, “Fox Hunt” campaign has captured more than 9,000 economic crime fugitives from over 120 countries and regions and recovered stolen assets of nearly 49 billion yuan ($6.76 billion), and made positive contributions to promoting comprehensive rule of law. 

On March 14, a Chinese fugitive on Interpol’s Red Notice who is accused of illegally absorbing public deposits and has been on the run for 11 years was repatriated to China from Indonesia. This is the second case of Fox Hunt operation reported by the MPS this year.

Previously, a fugitive surnamed Zhou, who is suspected of raising funds by means of fraud and had been on the run for eight years, was repatriated to China from Singapore on February 7, 2024, according to the MPS.

Fox Hunt is a special action launched by the MPS targeting fraudulent activities involving false information and wide-ranging scams. Since its launch in 2014, it has safeguarded the public’s economic interests, maintained normal economic order and ensured the social stability, officials said.

As China intensifies its efforts to pursue corrupt officials and criminals fleeing abroad, Fox Hunt operations have also been incorporated into the Sky Net campaign, which aims to track down fugitives suspected of involvement in graft while preventing corrupt officials from fleeing abroad and recovering illegal gains, becoming a more extensive international operation to repatriate fugitives and funds back to China.

Statistics from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, as of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2022, the Sky Net campaign had repatriated 10,668 fugitives and recovered 44.79 billion yuan in illicit funds. 

Global Times