Over 230 fugitives who were suspected of economic crimes and fled China have been repatriated from more than 30 countries and regions since 1998, according to the Ministry of Public Security Friday.

"The repatriation of these suspects clearly show that absconding overseas cannot help them escape legal penalties," said Gao Feng, deputy director of the Economic Crime Investigation Department of the ministry.

He noted that their repatriation id helpful to investigating related cases and retrieving economic losses timely.

The return of Yu Zhendong, former president of the Kaiping city branch of the Bank of China in Guangdong, was considered a good example.

Suspected of embezzling 485 million US dollars, Yu fled to the United States in 2001, but was repatriated to China on April 16, 2004. All the illicit money confiscated by the US federal police was also returned to China.

Meanwhile, the case was widely applauded as an outcome of successful criminal judicial cooperation between China and the United States.

Targeting growing transnational economic crimes in recent years,Chinese police had strengthened cooperation with overseas law enforcement departments in intelligence exchange, case investigation, retrieval of illegal money and police training, Gaosaid.

Source: Xinhua