Guangzhou police arrest Xie, known as 'Meiyi', the key intermediary in the Zhang Weiping child trafficking ring. She evaded capture for over 20 years. At least nine abducted children have been found. The 60-70-year-old suspect faces potential death penalty.
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Police in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, announced a major breakthrough in a decades-old human trafficking investigation on Saturday, with the arrest of a woman surnamed Xie — the long-sought fugitive known as "Meiyi" (Aunt Mei). The arrest marks a crucial milestone in the high-profile "Zhang Weiping child trafficking case," which has drawn intense public attention and scrutiny for more than 20 years, finally bringing the elusive key suspect to justice.
"Meiyi," whose true identity had remained a mystery for over a decade, is accused of acting as the primary intermediary in the sale of abducted children, playing a pivotal role in the criminal chain of the Zhang Weiping trafficking ring. Her arrest closes a long chapter of pursuit and offers a measure of comfort to the families of the abducted children who have waited years for justice.
The case dates back to between September 2003 and December 2005, when several children were reported kidnapped in areas including Zengcheng in Guangzhou and Boluo in Huizhou, Guangdong province. The severity of the case prompted the Ministry of Public Security and the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department to designate it a top-priority supervised case, forming a joint task force spanning provincial, municipal and district levels to launch a full-scale investigation.
In 2016, police achieved a major breakthrough by apprehending five members of the trafficking ring, including the ringleader Zhang Weiping. During interrogations, Zhang confessed to the abductions but revealed that he sold all the kidnapped children through a middlewoman he referred to as "Meiyi" — a key detail that opened a new chapter in the investigation but also posed a major challenge due to the lack of verifiable information about her identity.
While Zhang and his accomplices were subsequently convicted of child trafficking, with Zhang being executed in April 2023 in accordance with the Supreme People's Court's order, the elusive "Meiyi" remained at large. For years, investigators faced difficulties in tracking her down due to the absence of clear personal information, leaving a gap in the pursuit of justice.
Parallel to the manhunt for "Meiyi," the joint task force worked closely with the relatives of the victims and the general public to locate the abducted children. Between 2019 and 2024, all the children kidnapped in the original case — at least nine in total — were successfully found and reunited with their biological parents, bringing relief to the grieving families. Notably, one of the abducted children, Shen Cong, who was kidnapped in 2005, was找回 in 2020, and the ninth child, Ouyang Jiahao, was found in October 2024.
Despite the successful reunions of all abducted children, the search for "Meiyi" never stopped. Over the years, investigators adhered to the principle of "no stone unturned," actively seeking information from the public, following up on every lead, and releasing composite sketches of the suspect to solicit public assistance. The first composite sketch of "Meiyi" was publicly released in June 2017 with a reward for information.
The turning point came in 2025. Under the guidance of the Ministry of Public Security and with the support of public security authorities in other provinces, the task force identified a woman named Xie whose physical characteristics and background closely matched the suspect's profile. After further in-depth verification and investigation, police confirmed that Xie was indeed the long-fugitive "Meiyi".
Recent reports confirm that Xie has been arrested by the task force, and she has confessed to her involvement in child trafficking during interrogations. According to legal experts, "Meiyi" played an indispensable role in the trafficking ring as the key intermediary responsible for contacting buyers and taking commissions for each child sold. As a core figure in the criminal chain, she is regarded as an absolute principal offender.
Lawyers noted that based on China's Criminal Law, "Meiyi" may face the death penalty, as her alleged crimes meet several aggravating circumstances: she is suspected of participating in the trafficking of more than three children (at least nine in this case), acting as a key member of a child trafficking ring, and her long-term evasion of justice constitutes a serious provocation to the law and social justice. Her crimes are no less severe than those of Zhang Weiping, who was already executed .
It is understood that "Meiyi" — also known by the alias Pan Dongmei — is approximately 60 to 70 years old, about 1.5 meters tall, speaks Cantonese and Hakka, and once made a living as a matchmaker while secretly engaging in child trafficking. She had long been active in areas including Zengcheng in Guangzhou, Shaoguan and Xinfeng.
Currently, Xie has been legally arrested by the police, and the investigation into her alleged crimes is still ongoing. The arrest of "Meiyi" not only delivers justice to the victims and their families but also demonstrates China's firm determination to crack down on child trafficking and protect the rights and interests of children. It also sends a strong warning that no criminal can evade legal sanctions, no matter how long they flee.
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Editor: Crystal H
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