Chinese man extradited 29 years after allegedly killing taxi driver in Tianjin
The suspect, who came to Korea in 2017, stayed under the radar until police in Gyeonggi apprehended him after surveillance efforts traced his whereabouts.
Officers from the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency arrest a Chinese man accused of killing a taxi driver during a robbery in Tianjin, China, in 1997, as he leaves his residence in Mokpo, South Jeolla.GYEONGGI NAMBU PROVINCIAL POLICE AGENCY
A Chinese man who allegedly killed a taxi driver in China and later fled to Korea has been apprehended and deported to China 29 years after the crime.
The narcotics and international crime investigation unit of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said Tuesday that it arrested the man on suspicion of violating the Immigration Act and deported him to China on July 24.
According to police, the man and two accomplices are suspected of attempting to rob a taxi driver in the city of Tianjin on March 10, 1997. They allegedly killed the driver when met with resistance.
The suspect entered Korea in 2017 on an E-10 coastal crew visa. He worked aboard fishing boats in Seocheon County, South Chungcheong, and traveled to and from China each year. He stopped visiting China after 2021, when Chinese investigators examining the taxi driver’s death used DNA analysis to arrest his two accomplices in September of that year.
The man remained in Korea even after his visa expired in March 2022. Rather than return, he moved to Mokpo, South Jeolla, where he lived while working as a day laborer.
“It appears that he continued hiding in Korea after learning that his alleged accomplices had been arrested,” a police official said.
After discovering that the man had fled to Korea, Chinese investigators issued an Interpol Red Notice in May of last year and requested international investigative cooperation. The Gyeonggi Nambu police joined the case after the man’s family told authorities he had worked as a day laborer around Suwon, Gyeonggi.
Officers canvassed areas of Seocheon County where he had previously lived and analyzed CCTV footage to locate his residence in Mokpo. He was arrested on July 2 after several days of surveillance.
Officers from the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency hand over custody of a Chinese man accused of killing a taxi driver during a robbery in Tianjin, China, in 1997, to Chinese investigators at Incheon International Airport.GYEONGGI NAMBU PROVINCIAL POLICE AGENCY
The man had reportedly taken careful steps to evade police: He avoided using mobile phones or bank accounts under his own name and routinely wore a face mask.
Following the arrest, an official from China’s Ministry of Public Security thanked the Korean authorities.
“The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency apprehended the suspect wanted for robbery and murder through a relentless pursuit,” the official said.
The Chinese Embassy in Seoul invited the officers who made the arrest to the embassy on July 23 to express its gratitude. The mission conveyed its intention “to further strengthen cooperation between the investigative agencies of the two countries and actively cooperate in international investigations.”
“We will continue strengthening our international investigative capabilities and expand cooperation among government agencies in different countries,” a Korean police official said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
