A Chinese man who spent years evading justice by assuming the identity of his deceased identical twin brother was captured in June 2026 in the city of Zhuhai, Dagbladet reported. The arrest ends a 24-year manhunt that began with a violent robbery and kidnapping in Zhejiang province.
The 2002 Yuhuan Kidnapping and the Disappearance of Chen
The case dates back to 2002, when a group of seven men allegedly abducted a businessman in the city of Yuhuan, stealing cash and valuables. Chinese police quickly apprehended six of the suspects. The seventh suspect, a man with the surname Chen, vanished completely.
For five years, investigators searched for Chen without success. The hunt seemingly concluded in 2007 when police received official notification that Chen had died in a traffic accident in Anhui province. Records in the national population registry confirmed his death, closing the active file.
However, investigators later discovered that the man killed in the traffic accident was not the fugitive. Instead, Chen had exploited his identical twin’s appearance to fake his own death, transferring his identity to his deceased brother.
How an Ex-Girlfriend Unraveled a 19-Year Deception
The elaborate identity switch held firm for nearly two decades, allowing Chen to live an ordinary life while police believed he lay in a grave. The deception began to fracture in April 2026, when authorities received new intelligence indicating the wanted man was still alive.
Investigators re-examined family records and identified a critical lead provided by the dead twin brother’s former girlfriend. Her testimony helped authorities confirm which brother had actually perished in the 2007 crash.
| Timeline Milestone | Location | Key Development |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Yuhuan, Zhejiang | Businessmen kidnapped; six suspects caught, Chen flees. |
| 2007 | Anhui province | Twin brother dies in traffic accident; Chen assumes his dead brother’s identity. |
| April 2026 | China | Ex-girlfriend provides new information, alerting police that Chen is alive. |
| June 2026 | Zhuhai | Chen is located and arrested after 19 years on the run. |
Unanswered Questions Behind the Identity Swap
Chen was finally located and arrested in Zhuhai, far from the scene of the original crime. According to reports from The Times, he had successfully built an entirely new life under his brother’s credentials.
Despite the arrest, vital details regarding the execution of the plot remain unknown. Investigators have not yet explained how Chen managed to manipulate official registry databases to cement the switch, particularly given that certain older police documents concerning the initial traffic accident have reportedly gone missing.
