A couple who had swindled many victims out of more than 50 million yuan (US$7.88 million) was arrested in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region by Shenzhen police Saturday, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.
In May 2017, more than 30 victims came to Bao’an District Public Security Bureau to report that they had been swindled out of over 50 million yuan by the couple that they could no longer reach.
The bureau set up a special team to launch a comprehensive investigation of the case, which involved a large number of victims and a large sum of money.
The police gathered evidence in Zhuhai, Shaoguan, Huizhou and Zhongshan cities. The preliminary investigation showed that the victims had started making transactions with the suspects as early as 2001. Additionally, each bank account involved in the case had been involved in cross transactions.
In early December 2017, the police finally traced down a clue that showed the suspects had probably fled to Xinjiang in northwestern China. The investigation team immediately flew the thousands of miles from Shenzhen to Xinjiang and tracked the suspects from Urumqi, Aksu to Alar.
With the assistance of local police, the team finally arrested the suspects at a housing estate in Alar City. The suspects have been charged with illegal fundraising.