Thailand extradites a suspect in illegal gambling operations to China

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BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand on Wednesday extradited a Chinese man wanted by Beijing on suspicion of running over 200 illegal online gambling 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 a request for the suspect, who’s their top priority, and asked Thailand for cooperation, which we have supported,” said police Lt. Gen. Jirabhop Bhuridej, chief of Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau. He added that China promised it will elevate joint efforts with Thailand to crack down on scam centers.

She, a Chinese national believed to be 43 years old, also obtained Cambodian citizenship in 2017, and was active in Southeast Asian countries. He became prominent after developing 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 wanted for running gambling sites that have involved 330,000 people since 2017, with transactions exceeding 2.7 billion yuan ($380 million), while harboring 248 online fraud groups targeting Chinese citizens, according to Xinhua.

The U.S. and British governments imposed sanctions on She for his alleged criminal activities.

A 2024 report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime said She “is known to have a robust business and investment portfolio across Southeast Asia, and particularly Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, spanning across industries including real estate, construction, entertainment, and blockchain technology.”

Cybercrime has flourished in Southeast Asia, where law enforcement is weak, especially in Cambodia and Myanmar. Casinos often served as centers for online criminal activity, including scams, after the COVID-19 pandemic hampered in-person gambling.

Governments across the world have started to take actions against the sprawling industry. 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, just near Myawaddy, where She operated.

In response to Monday’s court ruling, a spokesperson for She's company, called Yatai New City and sometimes Asia-Pacific New City, referred to a previous statement that said “while Mr. She Zhijiang was involved in the gambling industry, these activities were conducted under a legally obtained license in their operating jurisdiction, and were not concealed illegal enterprises.” It said his role "is strictly that of a developer.”