Indonesian immigration authorities have apprehended a Chinese suspect wanted by Beijing for his alleged role in a multi-billion dollar investment scam, The Associated Press reports.
The 39-year-old man, identified only as LQ, was arrested on October 1st at Bali’s Ngurah Rai international airport while attempting to depart for Singapore.
LQ was recognized by an automated gate system at the airport, which flagged his biometric data as matching an Interpol Red Notice issued in late September. The warrant requested global law enforcement agencies to detain or arrest the suspect, who is accused of orchestrating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 50,000 people in China, collecting more than 100 billion Chinese Yuan (approximately $14 billion).
LQ, who arrived in Bali from Singapore on September 26 using a Turkish passport under the name Joe Lin, was apprehended just a day before Interpol issued the Red Notice. Indonesian authorities presented the suspect, clad in an orange detainee shirt and a face mask, to reporters at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday.
Indonesian authorities will need to confirm if LQ has legitimately acquired Turkish citizenship or if he used a fraudulent passport to enter the country.
This arrest is the latest in a string of high-profile captures by Indonesian authorities targeting fugitives from various countries. Last month, Alice Guo, a former Philippine mayor accused of ties to Chinese criminal syndicates, was arrested in Indonesia and subsequently deported to the Philippines. In June, Chaowalit Thongduang, a notorious Thai fugitive wanted for multiple killings and drug trafficking charges, was apprehended in Bali and returned to Thailand.
Indonesia’s strategic location and diverse population have made the nation a target for organized crime groups from both within the country and abroad.
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