Chinese businessman She Zhijiang, who had been detained in Thailand for three years, was extradited to China on November 12, becoming one of the highest-profile defendants in recent large-scale transnational fraud cases in Southeast Asia. After being escorted by Thai authorities, She arrived in Nanjing and is expected to face charges including money laundering, online gambling, and other cross-border crimes.
She Zhijiang is considered by both the U.S. and Chinese governments to be a key figure behind one of Southeast Asia’s largest fraud hubs—the “Asia Pacific New City” project located in Myawaddy, on the Myanmar-Thailand border. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the hub has evolved into a complex criminal center involving online fraud, gambling, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation, and it has allegedly lured victims from around the world to work for the fraud operations.
U.S. authorities estimate that Americans have lost over $16.6 billion to online fraud. The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced the formation of a new federal task force aimed at targeting transnational fraud networks by seizing technical equipment and cryptocurrency assets. In recent months, the U.S. has also sanctioned multiple key figures linked to fraud hubs in Myanmar and Cambodia, with She Zhijiang included among them.
The Royal Thai Police stated that China had issued a warrant for She Zhijiang as early as 2021, accusing him of money laundering and running cross-border gambling operations. In 2022, at the request of the Chinese embassy, She was arrested in Bangkok. Thailand’s Court of Appeals issued a final ruling on Monday approving his extradition to China. She had previously challenged the constitutionality of Thailand’s extradition law at the Constitutional Court, but his claim was rejected.