Thief caught 12 years later after name change

An alleged thief who changed his name after committing a crime was caught after 12 years, Shanghai police said on Wednesday.

The theft took place in March 2006 in a meat company in Dachang Town, Baoshan District, where over 10,000 yuan (US$1,460) of cash was stolen.

Two suspects involved in the case were caught by district police not long after, but a man surnamed Deng, who was thought to be the major perpetrator, couldn’t be found, police said.

Having never given up on the case for the past 12 years, police found that Deng’s wife, who lives in Ziyang city of China’s southwestern province of Sichuan, often used courier services to send things to a man surnamed Cao, and the man’s latest address was in Baoshan District of Shanghai.

Police checked Cao’s background and found that he is not a relative of the two others who are registered at the same household address, and suspected that Cao may actually be Deng.

Police caught the man on July 26, and he was identified to be Deng.

Deng has allegedly confessed and said he changed his name after the theft to escape from police.

After 12 years he let his guard down, returning to Shanghai in May this year to find a job, police said.

Deng is now under detention.