Police in Guangzhou in China's Guangdong province announced a major breakthrough in a decade-old human trafficking investigation on Saturday with the arrest of a woman surnamed Xie on suspicion of being the fugitive "Meiyi."

The arrest could represent a significant milestone in the "Zhang Weiping child trafficking case," which has drawn intense public scrutiny for years. "Meiyi" (Aunt Mei), whose true identity had long remained a mystery, is accused of acting as the primary intermediary in the sale of abducted children.

Between September 2003 and December 2005, several children were reported kidnapped in areas including Zengcheng in Guangzhou and Boluo in Huizhou, Guangdong. Following the abductions, the Ministry of Public Security and the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department designated the case a top priority, forming a joint task force across provincial, municipal and district levels.

In 2016, police successfully apprehended five members of the trafficking ring, including the ringleader Zhang Weiping. During the investigation, Zhang confessed to the abductions but claimed that the children were sold through a middle-woman he referred to as "Meiyi".

While Zhang and his accomplices were subsequently found guilty — with Zhang being executed in April 2023 — the elusive "Meiyi" remained at large due to a lack of any verifiable information.

In an effort to reunite abducted children with their families, the task force worked alongside victims' relatives and the public to locate the missing children. Between 2019 and 2024, all the children abducted in the original case were found and reunited with their biological parents.

Despite these reunions, the search for "Meiyi" continued, with investigators seeking information from the public, following up on leads and releasing composite sketches over a number of years.

The turning point came in 2025 when the task force identified a woman named Xie whose characteristics closely matched the suspect's profile. Further verification confirmed that Xie was indeed the missing suspect.

Now, Xie has confessed her involvement in child trafficking, and the investigation continues.