Legal basis: Provisions on Procedures of Public Security Organs Handling Criminal Cases
Article 237 The public security organ may, according to the needs of investigating crimes, inquire about and freeze the criminal suspect's deposits, remittances, funds for settlement of securities transactions, futures deposits and other funds, bonds, stocks, fund shares and other securities, as well as equity, policy rights and interests, and may require the relevant units and individuals to cooperate.
The property specified in the preceding paragraph shall not be transferred, allocated or transferred or detained in disguised form by other means.
Article 239 If it is necessary to freeze the property of a criminal suspect, it shall be approved by the person in charge of the public security organ at or above the county level, and a notice of assistance in freezing the property shall be made, which shall specify the account name, account number, frozen amount, freezing period, frozen scope and whether it is applicable to fruits, and notify financial institutions and other units to assist in handling it.
The freezing of equity and policy rights and interests shall be approved by the person in charge of the public security organ at or above the municipal level.
The freezing of the equity of a listed company shall be approved by the person in charge of the public security organ at or above the provincial level.
Article 240th If it is necessary to extend the freezing period, it shall go through the formalities of continuing freezing in accordance with the original approval authority and procedures before the expiration of the freezing period. Failing to go through the freezing procedures within the time limit, it shall be deemed as automatic thawing.
Article 243rd The time limit for freezing deposits, remittances, securities trading settlement funds, futures deposits and other properties is six months. The maximum period of each freeze shall not exceed six months.
For major and complicated cases, with the approval of the person in charge of the public security organ at or above the municipal level, the time limit for freezing deposits, remittances, securities trading settlement funds, futures deposits and other property can be one year. The maximum period of each freeze shall not exceed one year.
Article 244 The time limit for freezing bonds, stocks, fund shares and other securities is two years. The maximum period of each freeze shall not exceed two years.
Article 245 The time limit for freezing stock rights, policy rights or investment rights is six months. The maximum period of each freeze shall not exceed six months.