Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul made the announcement on 3/12. This followed actions by authorities across Asia, Europe, and the US targeting Cambodia's Prince Holding Group and its global business network with asset freezes and seizures worth billions of USD.
Anutin stated that the scam operators targeted by investigators included Chen Zhi, chairman of Prince Holding Group, a Cambodian national, and two Thai nationals.
Last October, the US accused Chen Zhi of orchestrating forced labor camps that conducted online scams in Cambodia.
"All those responsible must be brought to justice according to the law," the Thai Prime Minister said.
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Luxury cars seized in Thailand's crackdown on a scam network involving two Thai citizens. Photo: Khaosod |
Luxury cars seized in Thailand's crackdown on a scam network involving two Thai citizens. Photo: Khaosod
On 2/12, Thailand's Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) announced the seizure of approximately 100 assets belonging to Chen, valued at about 11.7 million USD. These assets included land, cash, luxury goods, and jewelry.
Authorities also seized nearly 15 million USD in assets from Cambodian casino tycoon Kok An, who is accused of leading a transnational scam network along the Thai border.
Additionally, authorities seized approximately 290 million USD in assets from two Thai citizens suspected of links to scam operations.
Prime Minister Anutin did not specify when these seizures took place.
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Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul presides over a press conference on the crackdown on transnational scam networks in Bangkok on 3/12. Photo: Khaosod |
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul presides over a press conference on the crackdown on transnational scam networks in Bangkok on 3/12. Photo: Khaosod
Online scam networks have proliferated across Southeast Asia, targeting internet users globally. While some individuals willingly join these scam centers, others are trafficked, tortured, and held under extreme conditions.
The UK also froze over 130 million USD in business and real estate assets in London linked to Chen's network. Meanwhile, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong each conducted seizures amounting to up to 350 million USD.
The US Department of Justice labeled Prince Holding Group "one of Asia's largest transnational criminal organizations" and seized approximately 15 billion USD in Bitcoin, which the US alleges were illicit proceeds from the company's scam network. Prince denies all allegations.
Vu Hoang (According to AFP)
