Pursuit of Criminal Fugitives

The Pursuit of Fugitives of Economic Crime

There is an increasing trend of economic crime perpetrators absconding overseas to enjoy their illegal gains. If they are not caught and brought to justice, they could cause serious damage to the justice and reputation of public authorities.

In May 1984, at the 26th Meeting of the Prevention of Economic Crime Board, a resolution was passed to form a Coordination Team for the Arrest of Fugitives of Economic Crime. The team's composition has undergone several changes over time.

Current Team Composition

At present, its members include:

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the Bureau of Consular Affairs
• The Ministry of Justice, including the Department of International and Cross-Strait Legal Affairs
• The Mainland Affairs Council of the Executive Yuan
• The Ministry of the Interior, including the National Immigration Agency
• The Investigation Bureau, which undertakes secretariat work

Operational Scope

The team combines the powers of the respective authorities and actively pursues fugitives of economic crime and plans their repatriation. The team has also expanded its the scope of responsibility to include fugitives involved in major corruption, drugs, firearms, organized crime, and other major criminal cases.

Since January 16, 2015, the Bureau has handled cases involving fugitives in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao, with cases being transferred to the Bureau's International Affairs Department for follow-up work.