A man from Jilin province, China, (right) has been reported to the police five times in three days as he shares similar looks and expressions with a criminal, Zhu Xianjian, who escaped from jail. — Screen capture via Weibo
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — A man from Baicheng in Jilin province, China, has been reported to the police five times in three days due to him resembling an escaped convict.
In a video circulated on social media, the man, who was not identified, shares the same facial features, expressions and even hairstyle with the criminal Zhu Xianjian, Global Times reported.
Zhu, who escaped from prison on October 18, was eventually caught on Sunday.
The 39-year-old jailbird, who hails from North Korea, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison in 2014 for three offences he committed in Yanbian, Jilin, including illegally crossing the national border, theft and robbery with intent to cause serious injury.
He was to be released and deported in 2023.
Authorities had initially offered 150,000 Yuan (RM99,120) for information that could lead to Zhu’s arrest.
The amount was later increased to 700,000 Yuan (RM462,661) after the initial amount failed to offer any new information.
Following Zhu’s capture, internet users congratulated the doppelganger who now need not worry about being reported anymore.
Prior to Zhu’s arrest, internet users, who expressed sympathies to the man for the inconvenience he suffered, had suggested that he wear his identity card around his neck.