Fallen former Interpol president Meng Hongwei rose through the ranks of China's feared public security apparatus before being caught himself in President Xi Jinping's campaign against corruption.

Mr Meng, also a Vice-Minister for Public Security in China, went missing after travelling to China last month. He resigned as head of Interpol on Sunday.

Mr Meng is under investigation by the nation's anti-corruption agency for bribery, China's Ministry of Public Security said.

The Public Security Bureau linked Mr Meng's detention to a broader initiative to "completely remove the pernicious influence" of Zhou Yongkang, who led China's security sector until 2014, when he was arrested and later sentenced to life in prison for graft.

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