Thailand Extradites A Suspect In Illegal Gambling Operations To China
BANGKOK (AP) - Thailand on Wednesday extradited a Chinese guy wanted by Beijing on suspicion of running over 200 unlawful 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 main Xinhua news firm.
"Chinese authorities made a request for the suspect, who ´ s their leading priority, and asked Thailand for cooperation, which we have supported," stated police Lt. Gen. Jirabhop Bhuridej, chief of Thailand ´ s Central Investigation Bureau. He added that China assured it will elevate collaborations with Thailand to crack down on rip-off centers.
She, a Chinese national believed to be 43 years of ages, likewise acquired Cambodian citizenship in 2017, and was active in Southeast Asian countries. He became popular after developing a complex in Myanmar ´ s Shwe Kokko city, near the Thai border, that is now infamous for online scam activities and human trafficking.
China ´ s Ministry of Public Security stated he ´ s wanted for running gaming websites that have included 330,000 individuals given that 2017, with deals exceeding 2.7 billion yuan ($380 million), while harboring 248 online fraud groups targeting Chinese residents, according to Xinhua.
The U.S. and British federal governments enforced 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 organization and investment portfolio throughout Southeast Asia, and particularly Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, spanning across industries including property, construction, home entertainment, and blockchain innovation."
Cybercrime has actually grown in Southeast Asia, where law enforcement is weak, specifically in Cambodia and Myanmar. Casinos typically acted as centers for online criminal activity, including frauds, after the COVID-19 pandemic hampered in-person gambling.
Governments across the world have actually started to take actions versus the sprawling 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 rip-off centers. The ethnic militia group is linked to scam centers in Myanmar, simply near Myawaddy, where She operated.
In response to Monday ´ s court ruling, a representative for She's business, called Yatai New City and in some cases Asia-Pacific New City, referred to a previous declaration that said "while Mr. She Zhijiang was associated with the gaming market, these activities were carried out under a legally acquired license in their operating jurisdiction, and were not concealed prohibited enterprises." It stated his role "is strictly that of a designer."
She Zhijiang, an alleged global criminal offense kingpin implicated by Beijing of having run prohibited online gambling 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)