Thailand Extradites A Suspect In Illegal Gambling Operations To China

BANGKOK (AP) - Thailand on Wednesday extradited a Chinese male wanted by Beijing on suspicion of running over 200 unlawful 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 cops. He landed in Nanjing, according to the main Xinhua news company.


"Chinese authorities made a request for the suspect, who ´ s their leading priority, and asked Thailand for cooperation, which we have actually supported," said cops Lt. Gen. Jirabhop Bhuridej, chief of Thailand ´ s Central Investigation Bureau. He added that China guaranteed it will elevate collaborations with Thailand to break down on rip-off centers.


She, a Chinese nationwide thought to be 43 years of ages, likewise gotten Cambodian citizenship in 2017, and was active in Southeast Asian countries. He became popular after establishing a complex in Myanmar ´ s Shwe Kokko city, near the Thai border, that is now notorious for online rip-off activities and human trafficking.


China ´ s Ministry of Public Security stated he ´ s desired for running gambling websites that have included 330,000 individuals considering that 2017, with transactions going beyond 2.7 billion yuan ($380 million), while harboring 248 online scams groups targeting Chinese citizens, according to Xinhua.


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


A 2024 report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime said She "is understood to have a robust service and financial investment portfolio across Southeast Asia, and particularly Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, covering across markets consisting of realty, building, home entertainment, and blockchain technology."


has thrived in Southeast Asia, where police is weak, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar. Casinos typically served as centers for online criminal activity, including frauds, after the COVID-19 pandemic obstructed in-person betting.


Governments throughout the world have actually begun to act against the sprawling industry. On Wednesday the U.S. Treasury department announced sanctions versus the leaders of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army for their role in supporting the scam centers. The ethnic militia group is connected to rip-off centers in Myanmar, just near Myawaddy, where She operated.


In action 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 declaration that stated "while Mr. She Zhijiang was associated with the gaming market, these activities were performed under a lawfully obtained license in their operating jurisdiction, and were not hidden illegal enterprises." It said his function "is strictly that of a developer."


She Zhijiang, an alleged global crime kingpin implicated by Beijing of having actually run illegal online gaming operations, is accompanied by police at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Thailand's Samut Prakarn province ahead of being extradited to China, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)