Thailand Extradites A Suspect In Illegal Gambling Operations To China
BANGKOK (AP) - Thailand on Wednesday extradited a Chinese guy desired by Beijing on suspicion of running over 200 unlawful online gambling operations.
A Thai appeals court on Monday approved sending She Zhijiang back to China, more than 3 years after his arrest in Bangkok on a 2014 warrant from Chinese authorities. He landed in Nanjing, according to the main Xinhua news firm.
"Chinese authorities made a request for the suspect, who ´ s their top priority, and asked Thailand for cooperation, which we have actually supported," stated authorities Lt. Gen. Jirabhop Bhuridej, chief of Thailand ´ s Central Investigation Bureau. He added that China promised it will raise joint efforts with Thailand to punish rip-off centers.
She, a Chinese national thought to be 43 years of ages, likewise obtained Cambodian citizenship in 2017, and was active in Southeast Asian nations. 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 rip-off activities and human trafficking.
China ´ s Ministry of Public Security stated he ´ s desired for running gambling sites that have actually involved 330,000 individuals given that 2017, with transactions 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 business and investment portfolio throughout Southeast Asia, and particularly Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, covering across markets consisting of realty, building, entertainment, and blockchain innovation."
Cybercrime has grown in Southeast Asia, where law enforcement is weak, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar. Casinos typically functioned as centers for online criminal activity, including frauds, after the COVID-19 pandemic obstructed in-person betting.
Governments throughout the world have started to act versus the sprawling industry. On Wednesday the U.S. Treasury department revealed sanctions against the leaders of the Benevolent Army for their function in supporting the fraud centers. The ethnic militia group is linked to fraud centers in Myanmar, simply near Myawaddy, where She operated.
In action to Monday ´ s court judgment, a representative for She's company, called Yatai New City and sometimes Asia-Pacific New City, described a previous statement that said "while Mr. She Zhijiang was included in the gambling market, these activities were conducted under a legally obtained license in their operating jurisdiction, and were not hidden illegal enterprises." It stated his role "is strictly that of a designer."
She Zhijiang, a supposed transnational criminal offense kingpin implicated by Beijing of having run prohibited online gambling 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)