Updated

A Chinese fugitive opted for a sex change in an attempt to disguise himself as a woman, the Shanghai Daily reported Thursday.

The 21-year-old crook went on the run in April after stealing 7,000 yuan from a barber's shop where he worked in Changzhou, eastern China.

When cops finally tracked him down last Saturday they were amazed by his curvy, womanly body.

The suspect, merely named Ming in the report, confessed to having visited a cosmetic clinic for a breast enhancement operation, according to the Modern Express newspaper.

He also admitted to taking female hormones in the hope that switching genders would throw lawmen off the scent.

Authorities are currently running tests to confirm Ming's identity and biological sex, reports said.