Updated

Chinese police found a fugitive human trafficker’s cave hideout with drones and arrested the man after he'd spent 17 years on the lam.

Song Jiang, 63, escaped in 2002 from a prison camp where he was being held for trafficking women and children, according to reports. His capture was announced Friday by Yongshan police.

The drones spotted household rubbish strewn around the cave where Song JIang was found hiding after 17 years on the lam.

The drones spotted household rubbish strewn around the cave where Song JIang was found hiding after 17 years on the lam. (Yongshan Police )

Jiang had been living in a tiny cave cut off from human interaction for years, the BBC reported.

CHINESE MAN KILLS 8 CHILDREN IN ATTACK ON FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: POLICE

But in a search police drones spotted a blue-colored steel tile on a steep cliff and household trash that was strewn nearby, according to the BBC.

Song Jiang, 63, in custody after 17 years on the run.

Song Jiang, 63, in custody after 17 years on the run. (Yongshan Police )

Yongshan Police trekked to the spot on foot and found Jiang on Sept. 19, Sky News reported.

He had been in seclusion in the mountains behind his hometown in Yunnan Province for so long that it was difficult for him to communicate with officers, the news outlet reported.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE ALL-NEW FOXBUSINESS.COM

Police deployed the drones after getting a tip about Jiang’s whereabouts.