Man reportedly arrested while playing League of Legends at internet café after his rank was announced to off-duty officer

A Chinese policeman found more than he’d anticipated when visiting an internet café with some friends to play League of Legends, leading to the arrest of a criminal suspect whose in-game rank led to his detainment.

As reported by Biajiahao.com on Aug. 8, an off-duty Chongqing city policeman Zhang Yihao had been playing League with some friends at an internet café when it was announced through the speakers that one of the top players on the Ionia server had logged in on the premises.

Eager to see how a Challenger-ranked player performs, the officer walked over to the player’s seat, where he noticed that they had a familiar face. Officer Yihao recognized the player as a criminal suspect, reportedly wanted for recent crimes. The officer confirmed the player’s identity before calling colleagues to assist with the arrest.

Footage of the arrest can be found as part of a report shared by the YouTube channel Elephant News and shows the player being taken into custody by the officers.

In some internet cafés throughout China, an announcement is made through the speakers when a high-level player from that server logs in at the location. This can help players gain some recognition within their local gaming community. But in the case of this player, the attention may not have been wanted.