One of the country's most-wanted economic fugitives, who had been on the run for 15 years in New Zealand, returned to China on Saturday to turn himself in, according to the Communist Party of China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Yan Yongming, 47, former chairman of Tonghua Golden-Horse Pharmaceutical Co in Jilin province, who was accused of fraud and embezzlement involving $624 million ($91.6 million), fled to New Zealand in 2001 after his crime was exposed.

Yan returned voluntarily to confess to his crimes, offering to return "a huge amount of ill-gotten assets" and pay a hefty fine, the top anti-graft watchdog said in a statement, without giving further details.