China Repatriates Major Cybercrime Suspect from Vietnam
Dragon Media News Desk
A key suspect in a major cybercrime case involving damage to computer information systems has been repatriated from Vietnam to China following a joint cross-border law enforcement operation.
China’s Ministry of Public Security said on Monday that a Chinese police task force had brought the suspect, identified only by his surname Pan, back from Vietnam. His full name has not been disclosed.
Chinese police accuse Pan of leading criminal groups that operated phishing websites designed to persuade users to download software containing a Trojan malware known as “Silver Fox.”
Once installed on a computer, the malware allegedly allowed criminals to remotely control victims’ devices, steal personal and account information, and generate illegal financial profits.
The case was uncovered in July 2025 by police in Zibo, a city in east China’s Shandong Province. Investigators found that a local individual had allegedly created and operated multiple phishing websites.
Between July 2025 and May 2026, police carried out a series of coordinated operations in different locations, dismantling several criminal groups linked to the case. Pan, however, fled China in August 2025.
With coordination from Chinese police and the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, Vietnamese authorities arrested Pan on June 4.
At the same time, Chinese police conducted operations in Guangdong and Guangxi, arresting 11 other suspects allegedly connected to the case.
A Chinese police task force brought Pan back to China on the afternoon of June 6, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
The ministry said the operation demonstrated China’s determination to pursue criminal suspects who flee overseas.
China said it would further strengthen international law enforcement cooperation to combat cybercrime, protect citizens’ personal information and property, and disrupt cross-border criminal networks.
The allegations against Pan and the other suspects have yet to be proven in court.
