Thailand Extradites Suspected Gambling Kingpin to China
Thailand has extradited She Zhijiang ( a Chinese-Cambodian businessman long accused of orchestrating massive illegal online gambling and cyber scam operations across Southeast Asia ) to China, concluding a lengthy legal process that lasted more than three years. The move is being hailed as a major step forward in regional efforts to break up sprawling criminal networks that operate across multiple jurisdictions.
She, 42, had been held in Thai custody since his arrest in August 2022 following an Interpol red notice issued at Beijing’s request. On November 12, he was transported from Bangkok to China under the supervision of Thai security officials. His extradition came after Thailand’s Appeal Court upheld earlier decisions allowing him to be sent back to face charges related to illegal casino operations and the running of illicit gambling platforms.
Chinese authorities allege that She played a central role in managing over 239 unlawful casino sites, with revenues estimated at more than 12 trillion baht (around US$385 billion). He is also linked to the contentious Shwe Kokko New City development in Myanmar’s Karen State, a project marketed as a high-end investment hub but widely reported to be a base for online scams, money laundering and human trafficking.
She has repeatedly rejected claims of wrongdoing, arguing that the case is politically driven and insisting he never authorized telecom fraud within his businesses. Nonetheless, ongoing investigations and reports from global watchdogs have intensified scrutiny of his firm, Yatai International Holdings Group, which has been sanctioned by both the United States and the United Kingdom over alleged human rights abuses tied to scam compounds.
The extradition was carried out under the framework of the 1993 Thailand–China Extradition Treaty, with coordination from the Office of the Attorney-General, the Royal Thai Police, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government bodies. The development also coincides with strengthening diplomatic ties between Bangkok and Beijing, ahead of an upcoming state visit by Thailand’s monarch.
She’s case highlights the intricate legal and enforcement challenges authorities face in combating sophisticated cross-border cybercrime across Southeast Asia. UN assessments suggest that hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals remain trapped in scam centers throughout the region, often forced to participate under coercive conditions.
China has intensified its crackdown on the masterminds of online gambling and fraud networks, imposing severe penalties including death sentences on ringleaders. For Beijing, She’s return is viewed as a major win in ongoing multinational efforts to dismantle criminal ecosystems that exploit weak regulatory environments.
The case underscores a shifting landscape of regional security cooperation as governments increasingly collaborate to dismantle both digital and offline infrastructures enabling transnational fraud, exploitation and large-scale illicit gambling networks.
