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 prohibited online betting operations.
A Thai appeals 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 police. He landed in Nanjing, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
"Chinese authorities made an ask for the suspect, who ´ s their top concern, and asked Thailand for cooperation, which we have supported," stated police Lt. Gen. Jirabhop Bhuridej, chief of Thailand ´ s Bureau. He included that China promised it will raise joint efforts with Thailand to punish fraud centers.
She, a Chinese national thought to be 43 years of ages, also obtained Cambodian citizenship in 2017, and was active in Southeast Asian nations. He became prominent after developing a complex in Myanmar ´ s Shwe Kokko city, near the Thai border, that is now well-known for online scam activities and human trafficking.
China ´ s Ministry of Public Security stated he ´ s desired for running betting sites that have actually involved 330,000 people because 2017, with deals exceeding 2.7 billion yuan ($380 million), while harboring 248 online fraud groups targeting Chinese people, according to Xinhua.
The U.S. and British federal governments imposed sanctions on She for his supposed criminal activities.
A 2024 report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime stated She "is understood to have a robust service and financial investment portfolio across Southeast Asia, and especially Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, spanning across markets including real estate, building, entertainment, and blockchain technology."
Cybercrime has actually flourished in Southeast Asia, where law enforcement is weak, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar. Casinos typically worked as centers for online criminal activity, including rip-offs, after the COVID-19 pandemic hindered in-person betting.
Governments across the world have actually started to act against the stretching market. On Wednesday the U.S. Treasury department announced sanctions versus the leaders of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army for their role in supporting the fraud centers. The ethnic militia group is connected to scam centers in Myanmar, just near Myawaddy, where She operated.
In response to Monday ´ s court judgment, a spokesperson for She's company, called Yatai New City and in some cases Asia-Pacific New City, referred to a previous statement that stated "while Mr. She Zhijiang was associated with the gaming market, these activities were conducted under a lawfully obtained license in their operating jurisdiction, and were not hidden prohibited business." It said his role "is strictly that of a designer."
She Zhijiang, a supposed multinational criminal offense kingpin implicated by Beijing of having run unlawful online gaming operations, is accompanied by authorities at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Thailand's Samut Prakarn province ahead of being extradited to China, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)