Chapter 586: Chapter 586: Investigation Direction
The resolution of the case should not be delayed.
The news of Sun Yu being captured should not have been exposed yet, but if there’s prolonged disconnection with Zheng Bin, they would definitely grow suspicious.
Li Donglin just held a meeting here to deliberate on the main direction of the investigation.
One approach is to cast a long line to catch a big fish, using Sun Yu as a lead to catch Zheng Bin, then unravel the entire smuggling network.
Another approach is to cut through the chaos quickly. Sun Yu just returned from the provincial city, and if they directly arrest Zheng Bin at this time, the resolution of the case might be more advantageous.
Ultimately, Li Donglin decided to implement the second approach.
According to the information provided by Sun Yu, the bank representative they knew was only a decoy dispersed by Zheng Bin in the provincial city.
That is to say, even if they cast a long line to catch a big fish, the so-called big fish is currently only Zheng Bin.
Moreover, it’s very challenging to trace his superiors through Zheng Bin.
Because based on the current clues, the place where counterfeit currency first appeared is in the provincial capital.
This implies that Zheng Bin is likely the current domestic source of counterfeit currency, and if not the sole source, he may be the largest provincial-level distributor, directly linked to the real source of counterfeit money.
Now, as long as they arrest Zheng Bin, they can cut off all counterfeit currency channels in the province.
The remaining cleanup work will naturally be conducted by the public security bureau of each city; once the source is cut off, the amount of counterfeit currency is relatively only a minority.
Moreover, in recent years, with the popularization of mobile payment, the circulation of paper currency in the country has significantly reduced.
Therefore, the harm caused by counterfeit currency is not as substantial as imagined.
Generally, its circulation is more probable in rural areas.
"Were you with Zheng Bin the entire time during the days you were in the provincial city?"
In the car, Sun Yu nodded like a bobblehead.
To reduce his sentence, this guy confessed everything, cooperating very well.
"We were together all the time. I took the train back this morning, and he was the one who dropped me off at the station."
"But I don’t have his contact information; he always calls me. When I went to the provincial city two days ago, he was the one who picked me up at the train station too."
"Where have you been staying these days?"
"I don’t know where it was. After they picked me up that day, someone blindfolded me."
"It wasn’t at a hotel; it was a regular domicile, but I never went out, they didn’t let me leave."
"However, I heard the sound of airplanes overhead, and there was a sweet smell in the air, like sugar."
Sweet smell?
Airplane flight path?
Li Donglin’s heart skipped: "What kind of sweet smell? Like sugarcane? Or white sugar?"
"I don’t know, just sweet."
"Oh, when I got off the train, I glanced at the license plate number of the car that picked me up."
"Didn’t see the whole plate clearly, just the last digits, 798."
"What kind of car?"
"A white van, Jinbei."
Soon, the car arrived in the provincial city.
Here at the provincial bureau, they generally only guide and supervise cases, not handle them specifically.
Therefore, even dealing with counterfeit currency cases, the main force here is from the provincial city’s Criminal Investigation Team.
This is also an inherent advantage for the provincial city’s Criminal Investigation Team. When the provincial bureau needs personnel for major cases, they usually pull from their ranks.
Half a year ago, Li Donglin formed a task force to investigate the counterfeit currency case.
And they were granted a separate office space in the backyard of the provincial city’s Criminal Investigation Team.
"Old Luo, lock him up, separately, with a hood on."
"Alright!"
Luo Qiang, also a member of the major crime unit, and part of the city’s Criminal Investigation Team, finds it much easier to handle these tasks here.
The major crime unit and the special task force have now begun to merge operations.
The most important task now is how to capture Zheng Bin.
"Zheng Bin, male, 38 years old, from Qinzhou City, worked in a paper mill in Qinzhou in his early years, went abroad for work five years ago, and has been unemployed in the provincial city since returning three years ago."
Zheng Bin’s relevant materials had already been collected, but there’s nothing special that stands out.
Wang Song continued to report: "According to the information we received, Zheng Bin has never married; his parents are still in Qinzhou City."
"Zheng Bin and Sun Yu have been close friends since childhood, but after he went abroad five years ago, their contact lessened."
Zheng Bin...
Li Donglin did not expect the other party to have overseas work experience.
It’s clearly evident that his path in smuggling and distributing counterfeit currency is likely linked to his overseas work experience.
Otherwise, given his background in the country, it’s improbable he could have connected with those dealing in counterfeit currency.
"The most crucial thing now is to ascertain his hiding place."
"According to Sun Yu’s information, the place he lived should be along a flight path, close enough to hear airplane takeoffs and landings, suggesting proximity to the airport."
"Additionally, he mentioned a sweet smell in the air..."
Li Donglin opened the map: "There’s only the second sugar factory near the airport that could impart a sweet smell to the air."
"So, we must focus on two aspects."
"First, investigate the white Jinbei van with the last plate number 798."
"Second, investigate the rental houses near the second sugar factory."
"Anyone have any opinions?"
"Director Li, I think we should add another location."
Is it Lu Chuan?
Li Donglin looked at Lu Chuan: "Where?"
"The North Suburb Chemical Factory."
Chemical factory?
"Why add that place?"
Though the North Suburb Chemical Factory is also on the flight path and not far from the airport, Sun Yu smelled something sweet—the chemical factory?
"When I came here for a case last year, I visited near the North Suburb Chemical Factory, and I know that there are many small chemical processing workshops around that area."
"When I passed by in a vehicle, I saw some ads on walls, many of which were for producing sucralose, a high-intensity sweetener."
"Normally, ordinary sugar does not emit a sweet scent into the air."
"Moreover, the surrounding smell of a sugar factory actually resembles urine; the sweet scent Sun Yu mentioned could not possibly be from the sugar factory."
A chemical factory...
The North Suburb Chemical Factory Lu Chuan mentioned is north of the airport, while the second sugar factory is south.
Both places cover a large area, and investigating both simultaneously might take a long time.
And now, what Li Donglin and others lack is time.
What to do?
Should Li Donglin stick to his own judgment or follow Lu Chuan’s suggestion?
"Who’s been to the sugar factory’s surroundings?"
Everyone looked around, but no one spoke up.
Li Donglin hadn’t been there either, so he didn’t know what it smelled like around the sugar factory.
Lu Chuan is different; there’s also a sugar factory in Haizhou City, near Old Bai’s place.
He heard Old Bai say so too.
It’s probably not wrong.
As for sucralose, he had encountered it in college.
Just a little bit wafting out makes the whole air sweet.
The power of high-intensity sweeteners is indeed impressive.
