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 illegal 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 cops. He landed in Nanjing, according to the main Xinhua news firm.
"Chinese authorities made an ask for the suspect, who ´ s their top concern, and asked Thailand for cooperation, which we have supported," said police Lt. Gen. Bhuridej, chief of Thailand ´ s Central Investigation Bureau. He added that China guaranteed it will elevate joint efforts with Thailand to break down on fraud centers.
She, a Chinese nationwide thought to be 43 years old, also obtained Cambodian citizenship in 2017, and was active in Southeast Asian countries. He ended up being prominent 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 said he ´ s wanted for running betting websites that have included 330,000 individuals since 2017, with deals exceeding 2.7 billion yuan ($380 million), while harboring 248 online scams groups targeting Chinese citizens, according to Xinhua.
The U.S. and British governments imposed sanctions on She for his supposed criminal activities.
A 2024 report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime said She "is understood to have a robust business and investment portfolio across Southeast Asia, and particularly Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, covering across markets consisting of realty, construction, home entertainment, and blockchain innovation."
Cybercrime has thrived in Southeast Asia, where law enforcement is weak, specifically in Cambodia and Myanmar. Casinos typically acted as centers for online criminal activity, consisting of rip-offs, after the COVID-19 pandemic hampered in-person betting.
Governments across the world have actually begun to act versus the stretching market. On Wednesday the U.S. Treasury department announced sanctions against the leaders of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army for their role in supporting the scam 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 involved in the gambling industry, these activities were conducted under a lawfully gotten license in their operating jurisdiction, and were not concealed prohibited enterprises." It said his function "is strictly that of a developer."
She Zhijiang, a supposed global criminal activity kingpin implicated by Beijing of having run illegal online betting operations, is accompanied 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)