Post by : Rameen Ariff

Thailand has extradited She Zhijiang, a Chinese national accused of running more than 200 illegal online gambling operations, back to China, authorities confirmed on Wednesday. The decision comes more than three years after She’s arrest in Bangkok on a 2014 Chinese warrant.

A Thai appeals court approved the extradition on Monday, allowing Chinese authorities to take custody of She, who is considered a top priority in Beijing’s crackdown on cybercrime. “Chinese authorities made a request for the suspect, and we have fully supported it,” said police Lt. Gen. Jirabhop Bhuridej, chief of Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau. He added that China has pledged to enhance joint efforts with Thailand to dismantle scam centers in the region.

She, believed to be 43 years old, also acquired Cambodian citizenship in 2017 and operated across Southeast Asia. He gained prominence after developing the Yatai New City complex in Myanmar’s Shwe Kokko, near the Thai border, which has become notorious for online scams and human trafficking.

Governments in the U.S. and the U.K. have imposed sanctions on She for his alleged criminal activities, highlighting the international scope of his operations. A 2024 U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime report noted that She “is known to have a robust business and investment portfolio across Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, spanning industries such as real estate, construction, entertainment, and blockchain technology.”

Cybercrime has surged in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar, where law enforcement is weak. Casinos and gambling hubs in these countries often serve as centers for online scams, a trend that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic when in-person gambling was limited.

In response to the extradition, a spokesperson for She’s company, Yatai New City (also known as Asia-Pacific New City), stated that while She 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.” The spokesperson added that She’s role “is strictly that of a developer.”

The extradition of She Zhijiang is being hailed as a significant step in combating organized cybercrime in Southeast Asia, sending a strong message to other operators engaged in illicit online activities.

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