The Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) in Pretoria recorded another success when its extradition team arrested a Chinese fugitive reportedly linked to a fraud case reported in China.
The 57-year-old suspect reportedly applied for a VISA at the United States of America embassy in Sandton, Johannesburg when his fugitive status was flagged, leading to his arrest on Tuesday, 22 July.
INTERPOL ARRESTS CHINESE FUGITIVE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda van Wyk said a preliminary report indicates that Interpol circulated a Red Notice to all member countries to locate and provisionally arrest the Chinese national, as wanted persons often flee to another country to evade their arrest.
Van Wyk said the suspect reportedly applied for a VISA at the United States of America embassy in Sandton when his fugitive status was flagged, leading to his arrest on Tuesday, 22 July 2025.
“The suspect made his first appearance in the Randburg Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 23 July,” she said.
SUCCESS IN DISMANTLING CYBERCRIME IN AFRICA
Earlier this year, Interpol’s Operation Red Card resulted in the arrest of 306 individuals across seven African countries.
The operation which aimed to dismantle cross-border criminal networks responsible for significant harm to individuals and businesses was conducted between November 2024 and February 2025. It also targeted scams involving mobile banking, investment, and messaging apps, with cases affecting over 5 000 victims.
South African law enforcement reportedly played a pivotal role in this crackdown, apprehending 40 suspects and confiscating more than 1 000 SIM cards and 53 computers. These were linked to a sophisticated SIM box fraud scheme where international calls are rerouted as local ones, often facilitating large-scale SMS phishing attacks.
DO YOU BELIEVE SOUTH AFRICA IS A HAVEN FOR INTERNATIONAL CRIMINALS AS INTERPOL CONTINUES TO NAB SUSPECTS?
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