The highest-ranked fugitive Chinese police officer has died from cancer in the United States, police in Fujian Province said yesterday, according to the Southeast Express Newspaper.

Wang Zhenzhong, former vice director with the Public Security Bureau of Fuzhou City, capital of Fujian Province, died from cancer on June 10 at his house in New York.

Wang has ranked No. 7 on a list of more than 100 Chinese officials at large as of May, 2002, when he flied to the US to escape charges over a series of crimes.

Wang was found to have accepted bribes from a local businessman identified as Xu Chengping in January 2001. Wang soon appointed two of his fellow police officers to "get rid of" a hit-man working for Xu's rival, the newspaper said.

The man was shot to death by 150 bullets on January 20 that year. The crime site was re-arranged to look like he was shot to death by police during a robbery attempt, the report said.

Fuzhou's procurator approved Wang's arrest on April 2, 2003, for bribery and money laundering.

Xu and two police officers involved in the case were sentenced to death on June 20 of this year by Fujian's Supreme People's Court. Xu and one of the officers have been executed.

(Shanghai Daily September 13, 2007)