Thailand extradites a suspect in illegal gambling operations to China

BANGKOK — Thailand on Wednesday extradited a Chinese man wanted by Beijing on suspicion of running more than 200 illegal online gambling operations.

Thailand’s appeals court on Monday approved the extradition of She Zhijiang to China, more than three years after he was arrested in Bangkok on a warrant issued by Chinese police in 2014. It landed in Nanjing, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

“The Chinese authorities made a request for the suspect, which is their top priority, and asked for cooperation from Thailand, and we supported it,” said police Lt. Gen. Jirabhop Bhuridej, chief of Thailand’s Central Bureau of Investigation. He added that China has promised to step up joint efforts with Thailand to crack down on fraud hubs.

The Chinese national, thought to be 43 years old, obtained Cambodian citizenship in 2017 and was active in Southeast Asian countries. He came to prominence after developing a complex in Myanmar’s Shwe Kokko city, near the Thai border, which is now infamous for online fraudulent activity and human trafficking.

According to Xinhua, China’s Ministry of Public Security said he was wanted for running gambling sites that involved 330,000 people, had transactions exceeding 2.7 billion yuan and hosted 248 online fraud groups targeting Chinese citizens since 2017.

The US and British governments imposed sanctions on She for her alleged criminal activities.

“It is known to have a strong business and investment portfolio in Southeast Asia, and particularly in Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines, spanning sectors such as real estate, construction, entertainment and blockchain technology,” the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said in a 2024 report.

Cybercrime has flourished in Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia and Myanmar, where law enforcement is weak. Casinos have often served as hubs for online criminal activity, including fraud, after the COVID-19 pandemic prevented in-person gambling.

Governments around the world have begun to take action against the growing industry. The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday announced sanctions against leaders of the Democratic Karen Charity Army for their role in supporting fraud centers. The ethnic militia group has been linked to fraud centers in Myanmar, just near Myawaddy, where it operates.

In response to Monday’s court decision, a spokesman for She’s company, which is called Yatai New City and sometimes called Asia-Pacific New City, cited an earlier statement that “while Mr. She was involved in the Zhijiang gambling industry, these activities were conducted under a lawfully obtained license in their operating jurisdiction and were not secret illegal enterprises.” He said his role was “definitely that of a developer.”

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.