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An investigation team in Dingyuan county, East China’s Anhui Province, issued a statement on Wednesday addressing public concern over a fraud case involving a police officer who reportedly defrauded merchants of millions of yuan through unpaid credit purchases of cigarettes, tea and alcohol, and pledging full cooperation with the court in recovering assets, according to the county’s official media outlet.

According to previous media reports, multiple self-employed business owners in Chuzhou, Anhui, alleged that Yan, a 37-year-old female police officer with the criminal investigation division of Dingyuan county public security bureau, used supply contracts bearing “the official seal of the division” between 2021 and 2024 to obtain cigarettes, tea, and alcohol on credit from 13 merchants, defrauding 15 victims of approximately 3.56 million yuan ($525,000) in total, according to the news portal chinanews.com.

Although Yan was sentenced to eight years in prison for fraud in 2025, several affected merchants still have outstanding unpaid debts amounting to hundreds of thousands of yuan that have yet to be recovered, per the media report.

Recent media reports on the fraud case related to Yan in the county have drawn public attention. “We are deeply distressed that unlawful and criminal conduct by certain police officers has caused losses to members of the public, and we hereby extend our sincere apologies to affected merchants and the general public,” the county’s statement said.

Local officials have established a joint investigation team, which will fully cooperate with the court in recovering Yan’s assets, designate dedicated personnel to liaise with affected merchants and provide legal assistance, and support them in safeguarding their lawful rights and interests through legal channels, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, a comprehensive review and inspection will be conducted on key areas such as official seal management and routine supervision. Any personnel found to have failed in their duties or responsibilities will be dealt with strictly in accordance with Party discipline, administrative regulations, and the law, according to the statement.

Global Times