At least 154 fugitives suspected of economic crimes have turned themselves in ahead of the Dec 1, deadline which grants lighter punishment amid the "Fox Hunt 2014" campaign, the Beijing News reported Tuesday.

A policeman is silhouetted inside Beijing International Airport, March 13, 2014. [Photo/China Daily via Agencies]

On Oct 10, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a joint statement urging economic fugitives to surrender themselves to justice.

Those who confessed their crimes and returned to China voluntarily would be given a lighter or mitigated punishment if they did so before Dec 1, 2014, according to the announcement.

Xu Yusuo, a fugitive suspected of economic crimes, gave himself up on Nov 27, only four days before the Dec 1 deadline, Xinhua reported. Xu, founder of a listed company in Shenzhen, fled China in 2012. He voluntarily came back from Singapore and surrendered himself to border inspection personnel in Shenzhen.

Xu allegedly bribed a former Chinese railway ministry official and was placed under investigations in 2012. He fled to the United States and then to Singapore. The high-profile case brought down several ministry officials, including former railway minister Liu Zhijun.

According to a statement from China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), the authorities persuaded Xu to come back and Xu expressed his willingness to give himself in a letter he sent to the SPP on Oct 25.

The move was part of the "Fox Hunt 2014" campaign launched on July 22. The operation focuses on catching economic criminals, including corrupt officials who fled overseas.

Before the October announcement, 128 economic crime suspects had been captured from more than 40 countries and regions in the campaign.

By Dec 1, a total of 335 fugitive suspects have been caught in the "Fox Hunt 2014" operation.