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Cambodia Extradites Scam Tycoon Chen Zhi to China After Citizenship Revocation

Updated (6 articles)

Extradition Executed After Joint Investigation Cambodian interior officials announced that Chen Zhi and two other Chinese nationals were arrested on January 6 and transferred to Chinese custody following a months‑long joint probe with Beijing, after Cambodia revoked his citizenship in December 2025 [1][2][3][4][5][6]. The operation was framed as cooperation against transnational crime, and Chinese authorities called the capture a “major achievement” [1]. Video released by China’s Ministry of Public Security showed officers removing a black cloth from Chen’s head and chaining his hands [1].

U.S., U.K., and South Korean Sanctions Target Prince Group The United States and United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Prince Holding Group and its affiliates in October 2025, freezing assets that include a €12 million London mansion and a €100 million office building [3][4][6]. South Korea also sanctioned Chen and 132 related entities in November 2025, marking its first use of sanctions for Southeast Asian transnational crime [5]. U.S. authorities seized roughly $15 billion in Bitcoin linked to Chen’s operations, describing it as one of the largest crypto forfeitures ever [2][4].

Alleged Scam Operations Generated Tens of Millions Daily Prosecutors in New York allege Chen’s network ran online gambling sites, romance‑investment “pig‑butchering” scams, and forced‑labor camps that together produced up to $30 million per day [1][3][4][6]. The indictment claims the scheme defrauded hundreds of Americans, with at least one victim losing $400,000 in cryptocurrency, and targeted victims worldwide, stealing billions in total [1][3][6]. Forced‑labor compounds in Cambodia allegedly detained trafficked workers who operated the scams under coercive conditions [4][6].

Prince Group’s Public Philanthropy Masked Illicit Activities Chen publicly donated $3 million for Cambodian COVID‑19 vaccines, funded a $2 million scholarship program, and launched a Swiss‑style watchmaking school, earning the honorary title “neak oknha” and advisory role to Prime Minister Hun Manet [1]. These charitable acts coincided with Prince Group’s rapid development of Sihanoukville from a quiet beach town into a hub of gambling and alleged scam facilities [1][2]. Investigators linked multiple Prince Group properties in Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh, and Chrey Thum to the illicit network [1][2].

Geopolitical Implications Shift Legal Forum to Beijing Experts note that handing Chen to China defuses Western pressure while aligning with Beijing’s preference to prosecute domestically, given the absence of an extradition treaty with the United States [4][6]. Chinese state media warned other fugitives to surrender for lenient treatment, signaling a broader crackdown on the syndicate [2]. The extradition therefore moves the case out of U.S. and U.K. courts, limiting Western leverage but preserving regional cooperation against transnational cybercrime [3][5][6].

Sources (6 articles)

Timeline

2014 – Chen Zhi renounces Chinese nationality to become a Cambodian citizen, a detail Cambodian officials later cite when announcing his extradition. [1]

2015 – Chen founds Prince Group; the conglomerate later “transforms Sihanoukville from a quiet beach town into a larger community associated with gambling and scam operations,” according to Radio Free Asia. [3]

2016 – A Sichuan prosecution records that Chen’s network “targeted Chinese nationals as early as 2016,” highlighting the long‑standing cross‑border reach of his illicit activities. [3]

2020 – An Anhui court case traces about 30 million yuan to Cambodian scam compounds linked to Prince Group, evidencing early financial ties to the region’s fraud ecosystem. [3]

2023 – The UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates global scam victim losses at $18 billion‑$37 billion, underscoring the massive industry that Chen’s empire later exploits. [4]

2024 – The U.S. Treasury reports that “Americans lost at least $10 billion to Southeast‑Asia‑based scams in 2024,” a figure that fuels later sanctions on Chen’s network. [4]

August 2025 – A South Korean college student dies after being tortured in a Cambodian “online job‑scam” ring allegedly run by Prince Group, prompting Seoul to demand action. [6]

Nov 2025 – South Korea imposes its first sanctions on transnational crime in the region, targeting Chen and 15 other individuals and 132 entities linked to the scam empire. [6]

Oct 2025 – The United States Treasury and the U.K. Foreign Office sanction Prince Group and dozens of affiliates; U.S. prosecutors unseal an indictment accusing Chen of “wire fraud, money‑laundering and operating forced‑labor camps that generated as much as $30 million a day.” [2][4]

Oct 2025 – U.S. authorities seize roughly $15 billion in cryptocurrency tied to Chen, calling the action “one of the largest financial fraud takedowns in history.” [1]

Dec 2025 – Cambodia revokes Chen’s Cambodian citizenship, clearing a legal hurdle for his transfer to Chinese custody. [4][5]

Jan 6, 2026 – Cambodia’s Interior Ministry announces that Chen Zhi and two other Chinese nationals are arrested and extradited to China at Beijing’s request, after “months of joint investigation.” [5][6]

Jan 8, 2026 – China’s Ministry of Public Security releases video of Chen in handcuffs, calling his capture a “major achievement” in cooperation with Cambodian authorities and saying it will issue arrest warrants for other network members. [3]

Jan 8, 2026 – Chinese state media (CCTV) quote officials warning that “arrest warrants will be issued for the first batch of Chen Zhi’s syndicate” and urging fugitives to surrender for lenient treatment. [1]

Jan 8, 2026 – Harvard expert Jacob Daniel Sims explains that Cambodia’s handover “was the path of least resistance,” allowing Phnom Penh to defuse Western pressure while aligning with Beijing’s preference to keep the case domestic. [4]

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