The reign of terror brought upon Chinese nationals in Venezuela may soon be over.

A Guangdong man, who is thought to be the king in a major crime ring operating in the South American country, has arrived back in his home province after being captured, deported and sent back to China in cuffs.

Xi Mouwei, 26, is suspected of heading a 10-strong criminal gang using kidnappings, robberies and extortion to terrorize Chinese expats, often demanding $100,000 in ransoms.

According to the BBC:

He is reported to have gone to Venezuela at the age of 16 and turned to crime when his business struggled.

It’s believed the gang had been active for about a year.

With the help of the Venezuelan authorities, Xi was snared earlier this month and eventually brought back to join two other alleged accomplices arrested in the province.

A special nine-member task force was sent to Venezuela to investigate crimes being committed after the Chinese embassy contacted Beijing about “dozens of cases” involving their citizens.

The Washington Post adds:

China is keen to be seen as being capable of protecting its citizens abroad and punishing those who commit violent crimes overseas.

Guangdong police are leading further investigations into this case.

Picture: Keith Allison/Flickr