Cambodia has extradited to China a billionaire businessman accused of masterminding a vast cryptocurrency scam in which trafficked workers were lured to forced labor camps to defraud victims globally.
Chen Zhi was among three Chinese nationals arrested on January 6 after a joint investigation into transnational crime lasting several months, Cambodia stated.
The US charged the 37-year-old, originally from southeast China, last October with running internet scams from Cambodia that allegedly stole billions in cryptocurrency.
The US Treasury Department seized approximately $14 billion (£10.4 billion) worth of bitcoin that it claimed belonged to Chen. Likewise, the UK sanctioned his global business empire, Prince Group.
US prosecutors labelled this operation as one of the biggest financial takedowns in history, marking the largest seizure of bitcoin to date.
The BBC, reaching out to Prince Group for comments, noted that the company has previously denied any involvement in scams, insisting that its businesses span property development and various services.
Since Chen's indictment by the US on fraud and money-laundering charges last October, his whereabout remained uncertain. However, the Cambodian authorities confirmed on Wednesday that they had arrested Chen Zhi and two others, Xu Ji Liang, and Shao Ji Hui, and extradited them to China. The statement did not specify where Chen was detained during this period.
His Cambodian citizenship was revoked by royal decree last month; he had previously renounced his Chinese nationality to obtain Cambodian citizenship in 2014.
The UN estimates that hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked to Southeast Asia, particularly to Cambodia, under the false promise of legitimate employment, only to be forced into running online scams.
Chinese authorities are investigating Prince Group for alleged involvement in these schemes. Despite Chen's claims of legitimate operations, experts note that scam businesses are suspected of comprising a significant portion of the Cambodian economy.
In the larger picture, Camel references ongoing issues in Southeast Asia where unscrupulous operations exploit vulnerable individuals, a reflection of severe socio-economic challenges in the region.
