A 22-year-old woman wanted by police was caught while riding the subway to a concert by the Chinese boy band Teens in Times (TNT) in Shanghai, according to the Shanghai Public Security Bureau's official social media account on Wednesday. Photo: Courtesy of Shang Guan Observer

A 22-year-old woman wanted by police was caught while riding the subway to a concert by the Chinese boy band Teens in Times (TNT) in Shanghai, according to the Shanghai Public Security Bureau's official social media account on Wednesday. Shanghai metro police captured the fugitive through an early-warning system and targeted security measures, police said.

The incident happened on Sunday, shortly before TNT's first Shanghai concert began. The police station at Yishan Road Station of Shanghai Metro received an alert that a person wanted by police in another province had passed through Jiao Tong University Station on Metro Line 10, CCTV News reported.

After receiving the alert, police quickly deployed officers for on-site checks. At the same time, the station's command center tracked the suspect's movements through surveillance footage.

The woman, surnamed Yong, was carrying merchandise related to TNT's concert. Based on this information, officers determined that she was likely heading to Shanghai Swimming Center Station on Metro Line 11, a station near the concert venue, and arranged an interception.

About 10 minutes later, police officers captured the suspect at the station's exit gates.

Police said Yong had been placed on a national wanted list on July 20 on suspicion of fraud by authorities in another province. She has since been transferred to the relevant authorities. 

The case was not the first time that a major concert had become the scene of a fugitive arrest.

From April to the end of 2018 alone, when police first captured a wanted suspect at a concert by Chinese Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung, authorities reportedly arrested around 60 criminal suspects or fugitives at his concerts. In Hefei, East China's Anhui Province, police captured nine wanted individuals, according to The Beijing News.

"Actually, it shows that our country's technology is really advanced, whether it is big data or other technologies," Cheung said during a group interview. "Whether you are at my concert, shopping at a convenience store, or doing something else, it is better to do the right thing, because the chances of being caught are now very high. I hope everyone does what they should do."

Guo Hao, a lawyer from a Beijing-based law firm, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the case reflects how difficult it has become for suspects to evade legal responsibility in an increasingly connected society.

"Some individuals may attempt to avoid detection by changing locations or blending into crowds, but once they are placed on a wanted list, any public activity could potentially provide clues for authorities to locate them," he said.

"Large-scale events like concerts often involve extensive security checks and information management, making it increasingly difficult for fugitives to avoid detection," he added.

Such cases show how technology is reshaping public security efforts, making it increasingly difficult for fugitives to evade detection even in crowded public spaces.