Thailand Extradites A Suspect In Illegal Gambling Operations To China
BANGKOK (AP) - Thailand on Wednesday extradited a Chinese man wanted by Beijing on suspicion of running over 200 unlawful online gambling operations.
A court on Monday authorized sending She Zhijiang back to China, more than three years after his arrest in Bangkok on a 2014 warrant from Chinese authorities. He landed in Nanjing, according to the official Xinhua news firm.
"Chinese authorities made a request for the suspect, who ´ s their top priority, and asked Thailand for cooperation, which we have supported," said police Lt. Gen. Jirabhop Bhuridej, chief of Thailand ´ s Central Investigation Bureau. He added that China assured it will elevate joint efforts with Thailand to punish rip-off centers.
She, a Chinese nationwide thought to be 43 years of ages, also obtained Cambodian citizenship in 2017, and was active in Southeast Asian countries. He ended up being prominent after developing a complex in Myanmar ´ s Shwe Kokko city, near the Thai border, that is now well-known for online fraud activities and human trafficking.
China ´ s Ministry of Public Security said he ´ s desired for running gaming websites that have actually involved 330,000 individuals since 2017, with transactions exceeding 2.7 billion yuan ($380 million), while harboring 248 online fraud groups targeting Chinese citizens, according to Xinhua.
The U.S. and British federal governments imposed sanctions on She for his alleged criminal activities.
A 2024 report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime stated She "is understood to have a robust business and financial investment portfolio across Southeast Asia, and especially Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, covering throughout industries consisting of genuine estate, construction, entertainment, and blockchain technology."
Cybercrime has grown in Southeast Asia, where law enforcement is weak, especially in Cambodia and Myanmar. Casinos frequently served as centers for online criminal activity, consisting of scams, after the COVID-19 pandemic obstructed in-person gaming.
Governments across the world have begun to act versus the stretching industry. On Wednesday the U.S. Treasury department revealed sanctions against the leaders of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army for their function in supporting the rip-off centers. The ethnic militia group is linked to rip-off centers in Myanmar, simply near Myawaddy, where She ran.
In reaction to Monday ´ s court judgment, a spokesperson for She's business, called Yatai New City and sometimes Asia-Pacific New City, described a previous declaration that stated "while Mr. She Zhijiang was included in the gambling market, these activities were performed under a legally gotten license in their operating jurisdiction, and were not concealed illegal business." It said his function "is strictly that of a designer."
She Zhijiang, a supposed multinational crime kingpin implicated by Beijing of having run unlawful online betting operations, is escorted by cops at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Thailand's Samut Prakarn province ahead of being extradited to China, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)