Surrender online: China police say to fugitives

BEINJING, CHINA: Police in China are encouraging fugitive suspects to surrender themselves online on police website as an alternative to going directly to a police station for the same purpose.

Police in the city of Taizhou, Zhejiang province, have received 278 such applications since their "online police bureau" opened six months ago, said Chen Bo'en, secretary of the bureau's discipline inspection commission Monday.

The applications are being accepted within 24 hours and can be used as evidence of the suspects' intention to surrender in the case, Chen said.

Under Chinese law, suspects who turn themselves in may face lighter punishments.

Taizhou's "online police bureau" was launched in June following China's nationwide campaign that kicked off in late May to arrest fugitive suspects.

The six-month nationwide campaign, which ended Thursday, witnessed the arrest of 12,000 fugitive killing suspects. Altogether, 23,000 fugitives whose whereabouts had been unknown to police for at least 10 years were arrested.