Thailand Extradites A Suspect In Illegal Gambling Operations To China

BANGKOK (AP) - Thailand on Wednesday extradited a Chinese man desired by Beijing on suspicion of running over 200 prohibited online gaming operations.


A Thai appeals court on Monday sending She Zhijiang back to China, more than 3 years after his arrest in Bangkok on a 2014 warrant from Chinese cops. He landed in Nanjing, according to the official Xinhua news agency.


"Chinese authorities made a demand for the suspect, who ´ s their top priority, and asked Thailand for cooperation, which we have actually supported," said authorities Lt. Gen. Jirabhop Bhuridej, chief of Thailand ´ s Central Investigation Bureau. He included that China assured it will raise collaborations with Thailand to crack down on scam centers.


She, a Chinese national believed to be 43 years old, also gotten Cambodian citizenship in 2017, and was active in Southeast Asian nations. He ended up being popular after establishing a complex in Myanmar ´ s Shwe Kokko city, near the Thai border, that is now notorious for online scam activities and human trafficking.


China ´ s Ministry of Public Security said he ´ s desired for running gambling websites that have included 330,000 people since 2017, with transactions surpassing 2.7 billion yuan ($380 million), while harboring 248 online scams groups targeting Chinese people, according to Xinhua.


The U.S. and British governments enforced sanctions on She for his supposed criminal activities.


A 2024 report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime said She "is known to have a robust service and investment portfolio throughout Southeast Asia, and particularly Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, covering across industries including real estate, building and construction, entertainment, and blockchain innovation."


Cybercrime has actually thrived in Southeast Asia, where police is weak, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar. Casinos often acted 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 against the sprawling industry. On Wednesday the U.S. Treasury department revealed sanctions against the leaders of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army for their role in supporting the fraud centers. The ethnic militia group is linked to fraud centers in Myanmar, just near Myawaddy, where She ran.


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, described a previous statement that stated "while Mr. She Zhijiang was associated with the gambling industry, these activities were performed under a lawfully acquired license in their operating jurisdiction, and were not concealed prohibited business." It said his function "is strictly that of a developer."


She Zhijiang, a supposed multinational criminal offense kingpin implicated by Beijing of having actually run illegal online betting operations, is accompanied by police at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Thailand's Samut Prakarn province ahead of being extradited to China, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)