KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador today denied police have arrested fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low.

Abdul Hamid was responding to widespread rumours that emerged earlier this evening that suggested Jho Low has been arrested by Chinese authorities.

Abdul Hamid in a statement responding to the rumour said: "We are working towards that end but nothing has been finalised as yet. That message is incorrect.”

The rumour in the form of a text message is being widely shared on social media and instant messaging applications.

The message claims Jho Low has been arrested by Chinese government and is being transferred to Malaysia via Royal Malaysian Air Force to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

On Thursday, Abdul Hamid expressed confidence that Jho Low will be detained soon.

Without giving details, he said the police are confident of bringing Jho Low back to the country to face justice.

"Insya-Allah (God willing), when I say we are sure of bringing him back soon, it means soon,” he reportedly said.

A week prior to that, Abdul Hamid told the media that the police have new leads on the whereabouts of Jho Low, who is linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

The US Department of Justice believes at least US$4.5 billion (RM18.8 billion) was misappropriated from 1MDB and Low is accused of masterminding the illegal transactions which siphoned money from the state fund.

The Penang-born businessman has been charged in both the US and Malaysia but has refused to return to Malaysia claiming that he will not get a fair trial.