Cape Town – A 63-year-old Chinese national who had been hiding in South Africa has been extradited to China to face fraud charges linked to roughly million, authorities have confirmed.
The suspect, identified as Fujia Chen, was traced to South Africa through coordinated efforts between South African and Chinese law-enforcement agencies.
He was wanted in China in connection with a large-scale financial fraud operation.
Police said the fugitive fled to South Africa in 2021.
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said, “According to the Chinese government, he defrauded them of 120 million rand, in which he was running an illegal foreign currency exchange business in that particular country… He was not paying taxes and he was not registered with the regulatory authorities in that country.”
Mathe added that the suspect had been placed on an Interpol red notice, which requests law-enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and arrest fugitives.
“In July 2025, he was attempting to apply for a U.S. visa. We were then alerted by the embassy, and we arrested him there. He has been in police custody for the past six months,” she said.
WATCH | A 63-year-old Chinese national is set to be extradited for defrauding the Chinese government of R120m. SAPS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe has more details. pic.twitter.com/NuvVX8jI3f
— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 30, 2026
According to Mathe, the extradition was carried out after South African authorities received an official request from China.
“Three days ago, the delegation arrived in the country. We held a meeting with them. They not only alerted us on this particular fugitive, but they also alerted us on 18 others that we have been looking for—actively searching for 11 other red notices, and still actively searching,” she said.
Authorities said the arrest and extradition underscore the effectiveness of international cooperation in tackling transnational crime.
Police also urged vigilance from the public and businesses, warning that organised fraud networks often operate across multiple countries.
#sapsHQ #SAPS Interpol has handed over 63yr-old Fujia Chen to a Chinese delegation. The Chinese National is being extradited back to China for fraud. He allegedly defrauded the Chinese government R120 MIL for running an unregistered foreign currency exchange business. He fled to… pic.twitter.com/er28Ncy834
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) January 30, 2026
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
