This is the moment an on-the-run crook is seized after he thought he could pull a fast one on Chinese police by applying for a clean record certificate.

The crook – named in local media as Mr Li – walked into Shijingpo Police Station, Chongqing Province and asked officers to print off a chit showing he has no criminal record.

But CCTV footage of the episode shows that as they check the computer, police find that Li is in fact a wanted man with an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

Tian Xuan – the officer on duty – distracts Li by pretending to get another officer to check her slow computer.

Then – as she quietly slips away for backup – Li chats to a second officer named as Cen Songbin until he finds he is surrounded.

Seeing that there was no way out, Mr Li had to admit he is on the run, and was then arrested and taken in for questioning.

The bizarre video was also shared on Douyin – the Chinese version of TikTok – where netizens were stunned by the plot twist.

One user, ‘third brother in chongqing’, jokingly commented: “In fact, he wants to surrender himself, but is embarrassed to say it.”