China brings pyramid scheme fugitive back from Indonesia

BEIJING: Song Miqiu, suspected to have masterminded multiple pyramid schemes involving at least 600 million yuan ( US$ 88.2 million), was escorted back to China yesterday, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.

A statement by the Ministry of Public Security said a work team from the ministry returned the suspect from Indonesia with the assistance of local police and the Chinese embassy.

Chinese police started the investigation of Song in December 2013. The investigation found that since November 2012, the suspect, under the fake name “Zhang Jian,” had conspired with others and carried out pyramid scheme activities involving 600 million yuan before fleeing abroad.

The police have sent personnel abroad in several raid operations and an Interpol red notice was issued in March last year.

However, Song escaped by offering bribes to local people and faking ID documents, according to the ministry statement.

He stayed in several Southeast Asian countries and during his time as a fugitive, he continued to direct others to conduct pyramid scheme fraud, swindling people in China out of money, the ministry alleged.

Chinese police have launched an intense crackdown on relevant violations this year and have caught numerous major suspects.

The ministry also contacted police in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia to hunt down Song.

Last month, upon learning of Song’s possible whereabouts, the ministry sent a work team to Indonesia and assisted local police in the arrest, the statement said. — Bernama