BEIJING - Police have apprehended a large number of fugitive criminal suspects in a campaign that began in May, the Ministry of Public Security said on Saturday.

In the high-profile crackdown, 12,000 fugitive homicide suspects and 23,000 other fugitives whose whereabouts had remained unknown to the police for at least 10 years were detained, the ministry said in a statement.

More than 900 escapees were captured or extradited from 77 countries and regions in the six-month campaign, it said.

Police located and detained 19,000 people based on more than 30,000 tips provided by the public.

The ministry said that 190 fugitives on the "most wanted" list were also apprehended.

Zong Liyong, one of those on the list, was captured at Beijing Capital International Airport in late July after 18 years on the run, the authority said.

In May 1993, four gangs allegedly robbed a Beijing-Moscow train repeatedly and raped three women. Police from both countries managed to round up more than 70 alleged gangsters within half a year, but Zong, who is alleged to have been a gang leader, managed to flee.

According to the police, Zong changed his name to Li Yong on his passport and escaped to Europe. To escape detection, he avoided taking a job and supported himself by gambling.

In 2006, he came back to China.