South Africa’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Pretoria, at the heart of the South African Police Service (SAPS), has recorded another major breakthrough in its fight against transnational crime. A 57-year-old Chinese national, wanted in his home country for fraud, was arrested this week while attempting to apply for a visa at the United States Embassy in Sandton, Johannesburg.
The fugitive was flagged during the visa application process when his information triggered an active INTERPOL Red Notice — an alert issued globally to locate and provisionally arrest individuals pending extradition.
The suspect was immediately taken into custody by the INTERPOL NCB Pretoria Extradition team and made his first appearance in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 23 July 2025. Legal proceedings are now underway to facilitate his extradition back to China to face the charges.
Lt Col Amanda van Wyk, spokesperson for the SAPS, confirmed the arrest and commended the seamless cooperation between international and local law enforcement agencies.
“The arrest is part of ongoing efforts to ensure that South Africa does not become a safe haven for international fugitives,” said Van Wyk. “This case demonstrates the value of cross-border policing cooperation and our commitment to upholding international justice.”
Fugitive wanted for major fraud in China
Details around the case remain limited, but African Times has learned that the man is implicated in a multi-million-rand fraud scheme that allegedly defrauded state-linked companies in China. Chinese authorities had been tracking the suspect for several years and alerted INTERPOL to circulate the Red Notice when intelligence suggested he had crossed into southern Africa.
His attempt to secure a visa for the United States appears to have triggered his downfall. The embassy’s vetting systems are linked to global INTERPOL databases, which flagged the Red Notice within minutes.
According to a government source familiar with the matter, the suspect entered South Africa illegally through Zimbabwe in early 2024, using fraudulent travel documents and had been living under a false identity.
South Africa no stranger to hosting international fugitives
This arrest is the latest in a string of high-profile international fugitives found hiding in South Africa — often drawn by the country’s large urban centres, financial networks, and, at times, porous border security.
In 2023, INTERPOL NCB Pretoria tracked down and arrested Ernesto Genovese, an Italian national linked to the Sicilian Mafia, who had been hiding in Cape Town for more than two years. He was wanted in Italy for organised crime, drug trafficking, and attempted murder.
That same year, police arrested Eduardo Rojas, a Colombian cartel lieutenant wanted for cocaine smuggling. He had been living in Durban under a false South African ID and running a logistics company as a front for laundering money through local businesses.
In 2021, Radovan Krejčíř, the notorious Czech mob boss, was sentenced in a South African court after years of legal delays. He had entered the country on a tourist visa in 2007 and became embroiled in a series of violent underworld activities. While Krejčíř is serving a sentence in South Africa, Czech authorities have long sought his extradition.
Most recently, in 2024, INTERPOL facilitated the deportation of a Nigerian cybercrime syndicate leader, Ayo “Slick” Adewale, who was arrested in Midrand. He had been orchestrating international “419 scams” and online identity theft schemes targeting victims in North America and Europe.
INTERPOL NCB Pretoria praised for ramping up operations
The Pretoria-based INTERPOL NCB operates as South Africa’s link to the international criminal policing body, coordinating transnational investigations, extraditions, and intelligence-sharing between countries.
The unit has been lauded for significantly ramping up its operations in recent years. Between 2022 and 2025, more than 60 fugitives were arrested in South Africa based on INTERPOL alerts. In 2024 alone, 22 arrests linked to international warrants were executed, many of them involving crimes such as money laundering, terrorism financing, cybercrime, and drug trafficking.
Security expert and former SAPS senior investigator, Dr Johan Burger, said South Africa’s geography and infrastructure make it attractive for fugitives — but also position it as a crucial partner in international policing.
“We are a gateway country, with strong financial systems, regional transport hubs, and visa-free travel for many countries. That makes us both vulnerable and indispensable when it comes to international criminal networks,” Burger told News24.
“What’s encouraging is that INTERPOL NCB Pretoria has shown it is capable of high-level, coordinated action to remove fugitives and support global justice.”
Concerns remain over local corruption and border control
Despite these successes, critics argue that systemic issues in South Africa’s immigration and border control systems continue to make it easy for criminals to enter and remain in the country undetected.
The Department of Home Affairs has admitted to weaknesses in identity document control, with several cases in the past two years involving Home Affairs officials selling fake South African passports and IDs to foreign nationals — including wanted fugitives.
The Chinese national arrested this week reportedly carried multiple aliases and had acquired forged documents during his stay in Gauteng.
Government sources say additional arrests may follow as investigations continue into who assisted the fugitive during his time in South Africa.
What happens next
The Chinese government has formally requested the extradition of the suspect. He remains in custody at a high-security facility pending the outcome of legal proceedings. South African authorities have confirmed they are working closely with their Chinese counterparts to ensure a smooth and lawful extradition process.
The case will return to the Randburg Magistrate’s Court next week for a formal bail application, which the state is expected to oppose.
As INTERPOL NCB Pretoria celebrates another takedown, attention now turns to whether South Africa can continue tightening the net around international fugitives — and plug the loopholes that allow them to vanish into its cities in the first place.
