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A suspect surnamed Cai, who had long been hiding overseas and is accused of organizing illegal border crossings, was successfully extradited back to China on June 8, China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on its WeChat account on Thursday.

In February 2024, immigration authorities in Zhenjiang, East China's Jiangsu Province, uncovered a transnational criminal syndicate that organized Chinese citizens to leave the country illegally through third countries.

Investigations found that between 2023 and 2024, a Chinese national surnamed Cai and his accomplices colluded with human smugglers both inside and outside China to organize multiple Chinese citizens to be smuggled abroad for illegal activities. The NIA designated the case as a major case under supervision and listed Cai as a fugitive target, said the administration. 

In March 2026, Cai was apprehended by police in a foreign country, which subsequently notified Chinese authorities. Under the guidance of the Ministry of Public Security and the NIA, the case-handling authorities promptly submitted an extradition request. China's foreign affairs authorities actively facilitated coordination efforts, with close cooperation between agencies at home and abroad helping advance the extradition process.

In late May, the foreign country approved the extradition request. Cai has since been escorted back to China, and further investigation into the case is underway.

A spokesperson for the NIA said the successful extradition represents another important achievement in China's efforts to strengthen international law enforcement cooperation and pursue fugitives overseas. It also demonstrates China's firm resolve to crack down on cross-border crimes and bring fugitives to justice wherever they may flee.

The NIA said it will continue working with relevant authorities to deepen international law enforcement cooperation, dismantle transnational human-smuggling networks, and safeguard national security and border stability.

The administration also issued a warning to fugitives still at large, saying that no one can escape the reach of the law. Overseas locations are neither safe havens from prosecution nor places beyond the rule of law. Any attempt to evade justice will ultimately be met with legal punishment, and the only viable option is to voluntarily return to China and surrender to authorities in exchange for possible leniency.

Global Times