Chinese law enforcement agencies extradited a suspect from Thailand on Tuesday in connection with a major financial criminal case involving more than 100 billion yuan (about 14 billion U.S. dollars), China's Ministry of Public Security announced Friday.
The man surnamed Zhang is the first financial criminal suspect extradited to China from Thailand since the two countries' extradition treaty took effect in 1999, according to the ministry.
Zhang was discovered to have led a pyramid scam operation under the guise of issuing virtual currency since 2012. The public security organ of Chongqing Municipality launched an investigation into Zhang in 2020, and an Interpol Red Notice was issued in March 2021.
Zhang was captured by Thai police in 2022, and was ordered to be extradited to China following a sentence made by Thailand's Appeals Court in May of this year, a decision later supported by the Thai government.
China extradites suspect of 100-billion-yuan financial crime from Thailand
The Palestinian death toll from the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 52,418, with over 118,000 others injured, since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out in early October 2023, said Gaza-based health authorities in a statement on Thursday.
In the past 24 hours, at least 18 Palestinians were killed, and 77 others were injured in the Israeli military operations in the enclave, according to the statement.
On Thursday, Israel launched an air strike on a building in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, claiming eight lives, while Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip also suffered strikes, with four killed.
Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced on Thursday that the group had launched an ambush on an Israeli military convoy in Rafah in southern Gaza, killing and injuring several Israeli soldiers. So far, the Israeli side has not responded to this.
Eyal Zamir, chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said Thursday that Israel is dealing with a complex multi-front war, and the most prominent challenge at present is to bring the detainees back to Israel.
Zamir said the IDF will deliver a decisive strike against Hamas if necessary, but he did not elaborate further on this.
On the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that it is a very important goal to have the detainees released, but Israel's top goal is to defeat Hamas and it must be achieved.
The Israeli Army Radio reported that Netanyahu is expected to hold a special meeting with senior defense officials on Friday, and the Israeli forces will intensify their military operations in the Gaza Strip after the meeting.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 52,418
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 52,418
