Police capture long-hunted woman at center of child abduction cases

警方抓获潜逃多年的拐卖儿童案核心嫌疑人

A woman long known only by the alias "Meiyi" or Aunt Mei, a key suspect in one of China's most widely followed child trafficking cases, has been captured after years on the run, police in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, said on Saturday.

广东省广州市公安局3月21日通报，在备受关注的拐卖儿童案件中，长期在逃的关键嫌疑人"梅姨"已被抓获。这名嫌疑人此前仅以化名"梅姨"为人所知。

The Guangzhou Public Security Bureau said the capture marked a major breakthrough in the case involving Zhang Weiping and others. The suspect, surnamed Xie, was confirmed to be the woman known as "Meiyi", a central figure in the case.

广州市公安局表示，此次抓捕标志着张维平等系列拐卖儿童案取得重大突破。嫌疑人姓谢，经确认即为该案核心人物"梅姨"。

During questioning, Xie confessed to trafficking children, police said. She has been detained, and the case remains under investigation.

警方称，审讯期间谢某供认了拐卖儿童的犯罪事实。目前谢某已被刑事拘留，案件正在进一步侦办中。

The case dates back to between September 2003 and December 2005, when several children were abducted in locations including Zengcheng in Guangzhou and Boluo in Huizhou, both in Guangdong.

该案可追溯至2003年9月至2005年12月期间，当时在广州市增城区、惠州市博罗县等地发生多起儿童被拐案件。

After the crimes were reported, the Ministry of Public Security and the Guangdong provincial public security department listed the case as a major supervised investigation. A joint task force comprising provincial, municipal and district police was established.

案件上报后，公安部和广东省公安厅将该系列案列为挂牌督办案件，并成立由省、市、区三级警方组成的专案组。

In 2016, police arrested Zhang Weiping and four other suspects. Zhang admitted to abducting and trafficking children and told investigators the children had been sold through "Meiyi".

2016年，警方抓获张维平等5名犯罪嫌疑人。张维平供认了拐卖儿童的罪行，并交代被拐儿童均通过"梅姨"联系贩卖。

In June 2017, Guangzhou police released the first composite sketch of "Meiyi" and offered a reward for information.

2017年6月，广州警方首次公布"梅姨"模拟画像，并悬赏征集线索。

In December 2018, the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced Zhang Weiping and Zhou Rongping to death for child trafficking, deprived them of political rights for life, and ordered the confiscation of all personal property.

2018年12月，广州市中级人民法院以拐卖儿童罪判处张维平、周容平死刑，剥夺政治权利终身，并处没收个人全部财产。

In December 2021, the Guangdong Higher People's Court upheld the death sentences on appeal. Two other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, and one received a 10-year prison term.

2021年12月，广东省高级人民法院二审维持死刑判决。另有两名被告人被判处无期徒刑，一名被告人被判处有期徒刑十年。

Under Article 240 of China's Criminal Law, trafficking women and children refers to acts committed for the purpose of sale, including abduction, kidnapping, purchase, sale, transport, or transfer of women or children. The crime is punishable by fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years and a fine, while especially serious cases may carry the death penalty along with confiscation of property.

根据我国刑法第二百四十条规定，拐卖妇女、儿童罪是指以出卖为目的，有拐骗、绑架、收买、贩卖、接送、中转妇女、儿童的行为之一的犯罪行为。该罪可处五年以上有期徒刑并处罚金，情节特别严重者可处死刑并处没收财产。

As part of efforts to reunite separated families, the task force worked with victims' families and other groups to continue searching for the missing children. Between 2019 and 2024, all of the trafficked children in the case were found and reunited with their families.

为帮助失散家庭团聚，专案组与受害人家属及其他组织合作，持续开展被拐儿童查找工作。2019年至2024年间，该案中被拐儿童已全部找回并与家人团聚。

In April 2023, Zhang and other principal offenders were executed. However, because the true identity of "Meiyi" remained unknown, the woman at the center of the case had not been brought to justice.

2023年4月，张维平等主犯被执行死刑。但由于"梅姨"真实身份一直未能查明，该案核心人物始终未归案。

Police said investigators continued to revisit locations, follow up on leads, publish sketches and solicit tips from the public over the years. In 2025, the task force identified a woman surnamed Xie whose features closely matched those associated with "Meiyi". Further verification confirmed her identity.

警方表示，多年来侦查人员持续开展走访调查、线索追查、画像发布和线索征集工作。2025年，专案组发现一名谢姓女子与"梅姨"特征高度吻合，经进一步核实确认其身份。

The case drew national attention, in part, because of the long search by the parents. The arrest of Xie marks a significant development in a case that has haunted many families for years, underscoring the long and difficult road parents have taken in their search for justice and reunion.

该案备受全国关注，部分原因在于被拐儿童家长长达多年的寻子历程。谢某的落网标志着这起令众多家庭牵挂多年的案件取得重大进展，也见证了家长们在寻求正义与团圆道路上的漫长艰辛。

One of the victims, Shen Cong, was abducted from a rental home in Zengcheng, Guangzhou, in January 2005 and trafficked to Zijin county in Heyuan, Guangdong. He was found in March 2020. Shen's father, Shen Junliang, said he was deeply moved upon learning of Xie's arrest.

其中一名被拐儿童申聪于2005年...