A Chongqing man suspected of killing seven people over the last two years has been caught in Yuechi County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, local police said on Wednesday.

The man is alleged to have robbed the Jintai Jewelry Shop of more than 400,000 yuan (about US$49,300) worth of jewelry on December 1, 2003, and the Baimiao Credit Cooperative of 180,000 yuan (about US$22,200) in cash on September 6, both in Yuechi, police said.

Hu Daoping, alias Wu Jun, 34, from Kaixian County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, was caught on September 10 by the Yuechi Public Security Bureau.

According to police, Hu is also suspected of an attempted robbery of the Yuechi County Post Office treasury, and a jewelry shop in Guang'an city in January and April respectively.

The seven victims, including two jewelry shop owners, two policemen, and three security guards, were murdered during the robberies, police said.

Hu was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for theft in Chongqing in 1995 but he broke out of jail and escaped to Sichuan in June 1998, police said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 15, 2005)