On the morning of June 12th, the Nanjing Municipal Public Security Bureau held a special press conference to announce the resolution of the major "May 16th" gold theft case in Jiangning District, providing details on the investigation and the return of the stolen property.
It was reported at the press conference that a major gold theft recently occurred in Jiangning District, Nanjing, where 27 kilograms of gold were stolen from a store, with the total value of the stolen goods exceeding 27 million yuan. Following the incident, public security organs at the provincial, municipal, and district levels swiftly coordinated, forming a special task force. Senior provincial and municipal police leadership oversaw and directed the operation. The task force pursued leads across eight provinces and, utilizing cross-border law enforcement cooperation mechanisms, successfully apprehended all 11 suspects and recovered the entire 27 kilograms of gold. This case represents the largest gold theft by value solved domestically in recent years.
"This was a meticulously organized criminal group with clear roles and thorough premeditation. Over more than half a month of continuous effort, all participating officers worked tirelessly day and night, meticulously analyzing various leads and conducting comprehensive assessments. Relying on national cross-regional and international police cooperation mechanisms, the case was successfully cracked. From the outset of the investigation, the task force prioritized both solving the case and recovering the stolen property, aiming to minimize the financial losses for the victims," explained Li Dahai, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Deputy Director of the Nanjing Municipal Public Security Bureau.
After the crime, the task force quickly identified a suspicious male through data analysis and composite investigation, confirming him as the perpetrator, a man surnamed Tong. Tracking and analysis indicated that Tong disappeared near a remote village in Jiangning District after the theft. A comprehensive assessment suggested he likely fled by hitchhiking on a highway.
"We meticulously examined 2,273 passing vehicles and ultimately discovered that Tong hitched a ride near the ring expressway around 5:00 AM on May 16th. He changed his destination multiple times during the journey, arriving in Nanning, Guangxi, around 9:00 PM on May 17th," stated Han Ting, head of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Jiangning District Branch of the Nanjing Public Security Bureau. The task force promptly deployed officers already on assignment in Guangxi. With the full cooperation of police in Nanning and Chongzuo, as well as border management departments, Tong was apprehended in the early hours of May 18th just over 100 meters from the China-Vietnam border, as he was about to illegally cross. 8.75 kilograms of gold were seized on the spot.
During the investigation, meticulous technical examination and electronic data analysis by the task force revealed that multiple individuals had entered the crime scene on several occasions for reconnaissance over a month before the theft. Further assessment identified a man surnamed Wang as a major suspect. Subsequent investigation found that Wang had fled to Bangkok, Thailand, by plane on the afternoon of the day of the crime.
The task force quickly activated international police cooperation mechanisms. With strong coordination from senior provincial police leadership, Thai police successfully arrested Wang in Bangkok on May 23rd and extradited him back to Nanjing on May 29th. Searches of Wang's residence and several other hiding places led to the recovery of an additional 13.2 kilograms of gold.
As the main suspects were apprehended, the task force's deeper investigation revealed a meticulously planned gang crime. The principal offender, Wang, was responsible for overall command, Tong carried out the theft, and another suspect, surnamed Zhang, arranged the getaway. On the evening of May 21st, the task force arrested Zhang, who was preparing to flee, at Wenzhou Longwan International Airport. Through analysis of massive data, individuals involved in handling the stolen goods were subsequently arrested in multiple locations.
It was reported that both Wang and Tong are postgraduate graduates. During their studies, they became addicted to online gambling, subsequently accruing massive debts from borrowing from relatives, friends, and online lenders. Overwhelmed by their financial predicament, they, along with Zhang and others they met online, decided to take a desperate risk and conspired to commit this major gold theft.
"Through over ten days of intensive effort, the task force comprehensively employed a combination of traditional and modern investigative techniques, meticulously unraveling clues, following trails, and conducting in-depth inquiries. They successfully solved this complex, difficult case, which was characterized by careful planning, covert connections, tight organization, clear hierarchy, and novel criminal methods," stated Zhong Jun, head of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Nanjing Municipal Public Security Bureau.
While fully committed to solving the case, the Jiangning District Branch proactively took further steps. Addressing the security vulnerabilities exposed by the incident, they swiftly organized public order, criminal investigation, and local police station personnel to conduct a comprehensive security assessment and provide guidance for the targeted store, aiming to achieve full intelligent early warning coverage in key areas. "We will conduct a month-long, thorough internal security inspection of key units across the entire district, including gold shops, jewelry stores, pawnshops, luxury goods recycling shops, and bank branches. We will implement dynamic 'one-enterprise-one-file' management, establish rapid-response police-enterprise joint prevention groups, regularly push security alerts, and guide key units in conducting anti-intrusion, anti-theft emergency drills to effectively enhance internal security awareness and self-protection capabilities," explained Li Xiang, Deputy District Chief of Jiangning District and Director of the District Public Security Branch.
It was further reported at the press conference that since the beginning of this year, Nanjing police have been intensively advancing a special campaign targeting theft, robbery, and fraud. They have comprehensively integrated police resources, optimized working mechanisms, and reinforced responsibility chains. To date, the city's clearance rate for traditional theft, robbery, and fraud cases has increased by 12.5 percentage points year-on-year.