THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Now 91° Thu 97° Fri 99° byThe National News Desk WASHINGTON (TNND) —A federal grand jury in Manhattan has been impaneled to investigate Neville Roy Singham, an American tech billionaire living in China, over allegations that he funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into a network of Marxist, socialist and pro-Beijing activist groups across the United States. China expert Gordon Chang told The National News Desk the alleged activity fits what he described as the Chinese Communist Party’s “united front” strategy. (TNND) The Department of Justice investigation is focused on allegations that money moved through groups including Code Pink and the People’s Forum, among others. Critics say the organizations push narratives that defend the Chinese Communist Party and fuel protests aimed at advancing a critical perspective on China. China expert Gordon Chang told The National News Desk the alleged activity fits what he described as the Chinese Communist Party’s “united front” strategy. “Clearly, the Communist Party wants to subvert the United States, and Singham has been a useful tool for this,” Chang said. Chang said he believes Singham has coordinated activities with the U…

US, China Spur Southeast Asian Scam Crackdown Business/Economy US, China Spur Southeast Asian Scam Crackdown Myanmar kingpin extradited to China, but skepticism over crackdown remains Nov 25, 2025 8 2 1 Share By: Toh Han Shih Gambling mogul She Zhijiang. Photo from AFP After more than a decade of rapacious scam activity, dual pressure from the US and China has led to a crackdown on operations and assets of pig butchering and gambling rings in Southeast Asia as well as Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, with coordinated raids in China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Although the superpowers are no allies, the squeeze has caused the Myanmar military to raid Shwe Kokko, a notorious compound 40 km from the Thai border town of Mae Sot where enslaved workers defraud online victims globally, although analysts are skeptical over the junta’s seriousness. Shwe Kokko complex. Photo from Wikipedia “Both the US and Chinese governments have compelling reasons to dismantle scam operations,” Matthew Friedman, chief executive officer of the Mekong Club, a Hong Kong-based anti-slavery NGO, told Asia Sentinel. “For the US, the priority is to protect Americans from losing their life…

How Sweeping Sanctions Missed a Business Partner of the Alleged Head of ... The U.S. and U.K. froze many assets of the “Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organization.” But one man sanctioned as an alleged associate has amassed properties and companies using a different identity. When the U.S. imposed “sweeping sanctions” recently on a massive Cambodia-based alleged cyber-scam and money laundering network, the name at the top of its alphabetical list of 146 targets was Chen Xiao’er. But documents show that Chen Xiao’er is actually an alias for Wu An Ming, a 43-year old man of Chinese origin with a passport from the Caribbean island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Records obtained by OCCRP show he first used the passport under the name Chen Xiao’er in 2017, before officially changing it to Wu An Ming by 2020. Using his current Saint Kitts and Nevis identity, Wu An Ming holds about $45-million worth of property in the U.K., and controls a vast global portfolio of investments that range from listed companies to private jets, OCCRP has discovered. Corporate records show that he set up a company in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) under his new identity, and used it to buy a for…

Cryptocurrency Operation by Chinese Police - Scammers Claimed to be ... Crypto News Bitcoin Cryptocurrency Operation by Chinese Police - Scammers Claimed to be “Investment Masters” Bitcoin News Cryptocurrency Operation by Chinese Police – Scammers Claimed to be “Investment Masters” Chinese police in Shanghai launched an operation against a gang that defrauded its victims with promises of cryptocurrency investments. Author: Mete Demiralp 02.01.2025 - 10:22 Update: 02.01.2025 - 10:22 Follow 0 Police in Shanghai, China, have successfully dismantled a cryptocurrency fraud ring that defrauded victims of thousands of dollars by operating fake trading platforms. Yangpu District police arrested 16 people connected to the scam after a comprehensive investigation. The investigation revealed that the gang, led by individuals identified as Yang and Yu, infiltrated various cryptocurrency investment chat groups posing as “investment masters.” Their strategy involved directing unsuspecting individuals to a fake cryptocurrency contract trading platform they had created. Once victims were lured onto the platform, the scammers exploited their desire to “make money fast.” They convinced victims to m…

Alleged cybercrime kingpin arrested and extradited from Cambodia to China Footage broadcast by Chinese state television CCTV shows billionaire businessman Chen Zhi during his extradition from Cambodia to China on January 7, 2026. EyePress News/Shutterstock Asia China See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow A prominent tycoon wanted by United States federal prosecutors for allegedly running one of Asia’s largest transnational criminal networks has been arrested and extradited to China, Cambodian authorities and Chinese state media said. Chen Zhi , 38, a national of China and Cambodia, was extradited on Tuesday after a months-long investigation by the two countries, Cambodia’s Interior Ministry said in a statement a day later. Chen’s Cambodian citizenship had been revoked, the ministry added. The operation was conducted at the request of the Chinese government, the ministry said, though it is unclear what charges Chen faces in China. He was arrested alongside two other Chinese nationals. Chen is the founder and chairman of Prince Group, which bills itself as one of Cambodia’s biggest conglomerates, with investments in luxury real estate, banking services…

Top operative of China-born tycoon Chen Zhi extradited from Cambodia Liu Ren, a central figure of a criminal group masterminded by Chinese tycoon Chen Zhi, has been extradited from Cambodia to China. Chinese police recently escorted Liu from Cambodia back to China, the criminal investigation department of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security said in a statement on Wednesday. The statement said Chen – who was extradited to China earlier this year and is accused by both Beijing and Washington of transnational fraud – directed Liu in 2016 to found a group called...

Will Chen Zhi's arrest and extradition be a wake-up call for scam bosses ... Will Chen Zhi’s arrest and extradition be a wake-up call for scam bosses in the Mekong? Jason G Tower Kristina Amerhauser Posted on 29 Jan 2026 On 6 January 2026, Chen Zhi, a 37-year-old Chinese-born tycoon, was arrested in Cambodia and extradited to China. Chen Zhi, accused of masterminding a huge‘cyber-fraud empire’, waschargedby the US Department of Justice in 2025 with operating cyber scam compounds in Cambodia that defrauded victims all over the world of billions of dollars. TheUK and US also sanctionedhis businesses operating as part of the Prince Group, one of Cambodia’s largest multinational conglomerates, in October 2025.Chinese state television saidChen Zhi had been arrested for fraud and for operating illegal casinos. Chen Zhi was considered a key figure in Cambodia’s industrial-scalecyber scam operations, in which tens of thousands of people have been trafficked from across the world into circumstances of forced criminality to work in online scam centres, or compounds. He was well known to the Chinese authorities, having a history ofalleged criminal activityoriginating in China and later…

Cambodia scam centre leader extradited to China - The Straits Times Cambodia scam centre leader extradited to China Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments An abandoned scam centre in O’Smach, Cambodia, on March 12. PHOTO: AFP Published Jun 17, 2026, 06:40 PM Updated Jun 17, 2026, 06:42 PM Listen BEIJING – An alleged leading member of a prominent crime syndicate that operated scam centres in Cambodia has been extradited to China, Beijing said on June 17. Cambodia has emerged as a hub for crime syndicates running fake romantic relationship and cryptocurrency investment schemes in which scammers – some willing, others trafficked – defraud internet users around the world. But, under pressure from several countries – including China, which has called for the complete eradication of the scam centres – the Cambodian authorities say they are cracking down on the industry . China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) published a video on June 17 showing a man it identified as Liu Ren in handcuffs as security forces lifted a black bag off his head, after he had been escorted off a China Southern plane. “Recently, with the strong support of relevant Cambodian authorities,…

Royal Thai Police Arrest Fugitive Chinese National Behind Multi ... Please be vigilant about TRM impersonation scams, especially those claiming to assist with fund recovery.More info On October 29, 2025, the Royal Thai Police Metropolitan Police Bureau arrested a Chinese national in Bangkok linked to FINTOCH, a large-scale cryptocurrency investment fraud that defrauded victims around the world between 2022 and 2023. Authorities described the man as one of five FINTOCH executives charged by Chinese law enforcement for orchestrating the scheme before fleeing abroad. The suspect was taken into custody at a luxury home in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, where police seized electronic devices, digital wallets, and property documents believed to be tied to the proceeds of the crime. Chinese authorities have requested his extradition to face charges. TRM Labs is proud to support the Royal Thai Police in this and other investigations. FINTOCH operated as a high-yield crypto investment platform that promised investors “1% guaranteed daily returns.” The company falsely claimed to be “Morgan DF Fintoch, an innovative blockchain financial platform built by a Silicon Valley company,” and prom…

China tightens net around Cambodia's scam empire BEIJING, June 17 — An alleged leading member of a prominent crime syndicate that operated scam centres in Cambodia has been extradited back to China, Beijing said on Wednesday. Cambodia has emerged as a hub for crime syndicates running fake romantic relationship and cryptocurrency investment schemes in which scammers – some willing, others trafficked – defraud internet users around the world. But under pressure from several countries including China, which has called for the complete eradication of the scam centres, Cambodian authorities say they are cracking down on the industry. China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) published a video on Wednesday showing a man it identified as Liu Ren in handcuffs as security forces lifted a black bag off his head, after he had been escorted off a China Southern plane. “Recently, with the strong support of relevant Cambodian authorities, a task force dispatched by the Ministry of Public Security successfully extradited Liu Ren – a key member of the Chen Zhi criminal syndicate – back to China from Phnom Penh,” the ministry said in a statement. Phnom Penh extradited Chen Zhi in January afte…

Top operative of China-born tycoon Chen Zhi extradited from Cambodia Liu Ren, a central figure of a criminal group masterminded by Chinese tycoon Chen Zhi , has been extradited from Cambodia to China. Chinese police recently escorted Liu from Cambodia back to China, the criminal investigation department of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security said in a statement on Wednesday. The statement said Chen – who was extradited to China earlier this year and is accused by both Beijing and Washington of transnational fraud – directed Liu in 2016 to found a group called Jinbei that operated multiple online gambling platforms and aggressively lured Chinese citizens into gambling. Advertisement It said that since 2020, Jinbei Group had also operated telecoms fraud compounds in Cambodia and carried out large-scale telecoms and online fraud involving “extremely large amounts” of money. Alleged scam tycoon Chen Zhi arrested in Cambodia, extradited to China Liu was also being charged with suspected illegal detention and intentional injury, and his case was under investigation, Chinese police said in the statement. Advertisement Cambodia arrested Chen and sent him back to China in January. He h…

The Fall of a Cybercrime Empire: Chen Zhi's Extradition and the Liu Ren ... Create a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: What key developments have occurred in the extradition and criminal case of Chinese-born tycoon Chen Zhi and his associate Liu Ren, includin. Article summary: Here is a summary of the key developments in the Chen Zhi and Liu Ren criminal case as of June 19, 2026.. Topic tags: general, news, general web, user generated. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fake numbers, clickbait thumbnails, icons, and tiny thumbnail layouts. Make it useful as an illustrative visual, The fight against Southeast Asia's sprawling cyber-fraud networks reached a new peak in June 2026 with the extradition ofLiu Ren, described by Chinese authorities as the "top operative" of alleged crime bossChen Zhi. The …

Explainer: Who is Chen Zhi, the young tycoon accused of running global ... Explainer: Who is Chen Zhi, the young tycoon accused of running global cyber scams? Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments This frame grab shows guards escorting handcuffed accused scam boss Chen Zhi (centre) off a China Southern plane in Beijing. PHOTO: AFP Published Jan 08, 2026, 08:10 PM Updated Jan 09, 2026, 08:18 AM Listen PHNOM PENH - Chinese-Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi’s arrest and extradition to China this week marked a stunning fall for a young tycoon accused of running a brutal online scam and money laundering operation. Here is what is known about the secretive man wanted by law enforcement around the world. What is Chen accused of? At age 27, Chen founded the Prince Group , a Cambodian conglomerate with fingers in everything from real estate to banking and airlines, as well as – according to US prosecutors – cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes that stole billions of dollars from victims worldwide. According to an indictment filed in a Brooklyn court in 2025, Chen and his top executives grew Prince Group, which operated more than 100 business entities in over 30 count…

Cambodia extradites tycoon accused of running global scam centres to China Cambodia has extradited a powerful business figure to China after arresting him over accusations that he ran a sprawling scam operation which siphoned billions of dollars from victims worldwide. The interior ministry said Chen Zhi was detained along with two Chinese nationals, Xu Ji Liang and Shao Ji Hui, before being sent to China on Tuesday. The arrests were made at Beijing ’s request. Mr Chen’s Cambodian citizenship was revoked by royal decree in December, CNN reported. He was born in China. Mr Chen, 38, chaired the Prince Holding Group, a Cambodia-based conglomerate publicly known for luxury property developments, finance and consumer services. Western officials alleged the group masked a transnational criminal network built on online fraud and exploitation of trafficked workers. In October, the US Treasury Department and the UK Foreign Office imposed sanctions on Mr Chen and his companies, accusing him of overseeing scam centres that targeted victims across the world. The schemes typically involved persuading people to invest in fake cryptocurrency or financial products, often after building trust thro…

Now 92° Thu 94° Fri 95° byThe National News Desk WASHINGTON (TNND) —A federal grand jury in Manhattan has been impaneled to investigate Neville Roy Singham, an American tech billionaire living in China, over allegations that he funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into a network of Marxist, socialist and pro-Beijing activist groups across the United States. China expert Gordon Chang told The National News Desk the alleged activity fits what he described as the Chinese Communist Party’s “united front” strategy. (TNND) The Department of Justice investigation is focused on allegations that money moved through groups including Code Pink and the People’s Forum, among others. Critics say the organizations push narratives that defend the Chinese Communist Party and fuel protests aimed at advancing a critical perspective on China. China expert Gordon Chang told The National News Desk the alleged activity fits what he described as the Chinese Communist Party’s “united front” strategy. “Clearly, the Communist Party wants to subvert the United States, and Singham has been a useful tool for this,” Chang said. Chang said he believes Singham has coordinated activities with the U…

Chinese National Sentenced to Prison for Role in Crypto Scam Targeting ... Press Release Chinese National Sentenced to Prison for Role in Crypto Scam Targeting Americans Tuesday, January 27, 2026 Share Facebook X LinkedIn Email For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs Chinese national Jingliang Su was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for his role in laundering more than $36.9 million from victims in a digital asset investment conspiracy that was carried out from scam centers in Cambodia. The court also ordered Su to pay $26,867,242.44 in restitution. Su pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal money transmitting business. “This defendant and his co-conspirators scammed 174 Americans out of their hard-earned money,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In the digital age, criminals have found new ways to weaponize the internet for fraud. The Criminal Division and its law enforcement partners have continued to evolve and caught large-scale scammers, who target people through their phones, social media, and fake internet sites, steal from them, and then move their money through cr…