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 gaming operations.
A Thai appeals court on Monday approved 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 official Xinhua news agency.
"Chinese authorities made an ask for the suspect, who ´ s their top concern, and asked Thailand for cooperation, which we have supported," stated authorities Lt. Gen. Jirabhop Bhuridej, chief of Thailand ´ s Central Investigation Bureau. He added that China promised it will elevate joint efforts with Thailand to punish rip-off centers.
She, a Chinese national believed to be 43 years old, also obtained Cambodian citizenship in 2017, and was active in Southeast Asian nations. He ended up being prominent after establishing 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 wanted for running gambling websites that have included 330,000 people since 2017, with transactions 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 enforced 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 financial investment portfolio throughout Southeast Asia, and especially Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, covering throughout industries including realty, building, entertainment, and blockchain innovation."
Cybercrime has actually grown in Southeast Asia, where police is weak, especially in Cambodia and Myanmar. Casinos often acted as centers for online criminal activity, including scams, after the COVID-19 pandemic hampered in-person betting.
Governments across the world have actually started to do something about it versus the sprawling market. On Wednesday the U.S. Treasury department revealed sanctions against the leaders of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army for their role in supporting the scam centers. The ethnic militia group is connected to rip-off centers in Myanmar, just near Myawaddy, where She ran.
In response to Monday ´ s court ruling, a for She's company, called Yatai New City and sometimes Asia-Pacific New City, described a previous statement that stated "while Mr. She Zhijiang was associated with the betting market, these activities were conducted under a legally obtained license in their operating jurisdiction, and were not hidden illegal business." It stated his function "is strictly that of a designer."
She Zhijiang, an alleged transnational criminal activity kingpin accused by Beijing of having run unlawful online betting operations, is escorted 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)