Updated June 26 2026
In China the courts know him as Hu Xiaowei 胡晓伟, born in 1982. On the Caribbean islands Saint Kitts and Nevis he was registered as Chen Xiao'er 陈晓儿. Near Holland Park in London be bought a Victorian mansion for USD 39 million with the name Wu an Ming 吴安明. In Singapore he held shares of companies with the name Hu Shi 胡适. From this name there was a connection to a a nine-unit luxury property on Stanley Beach Road in Hong Kong. Here we will call this man with multiple identities Hu, according to his Chinese family name. Hu has for some months remained at large. He was a fugitive being tracked by Chinese, Taiwanese, Singaporean, South Korean, U.S. and UK authorities.
But now Hu Xiaowei has been arrested in Osaka according to The Asahi Shimbun together with two other Chinese nationals. According to NHK investigative sources say Hu repeatedly entered Japan under a Highly Skilled Professional status with a five-year period of stay. This status was introduced in Japan in 2015 for highly skilled foreign professionals who are expected to contribute to Japan's academic research and economic development.
In Taiwan prosecutors labeled Hu Xiaowei "second in command" of the Cambodia-based Prince Group, guided by Chinese-Cambodian chairman Chen Zhi, in early 2026 arrested in Cambodia and extradited to China in January 2026 for allegedly masterminding a massive cyber-fraud empire involving forced labor compounds and multi-billion dollar cryptocurrency frauds. Some say, that Chen Zhi used to call Hu "big brother". Southeast Asia has been hit by a cyber-fraud crime wave of epic proportions over the past decade. In countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, and the Philippines, industrial-scale scam operations have targeted victims around the world, stealing as much as $64 billion annually, according to a United Nations report this year. Hu Xiaowei seems to be a mastermind in this business and in laundering the stealed fortunes. But so far he has denied to be involved in the operations of Prince Group.
In Taiwan Hu Xiaowei is accused of presiding over a network of 250 companies across 18 countries to disguise criminal proceeds. In Taiwan, he allegedly set up nine key subsidiary firms, many of which operated from the same building: Peace Palace (和平大苑) tower block in Taipei's Daan District. His St. Kitts and Nevis passport provided him visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 150 countries and territories, including the UK, EU and Hong Kong. He holds also citizenships from China, Cambodia and Cyprus. With these changing identities he was able to hide his connection with the cyberscam frauds and launder it with property investments according to the investigators.
The sanctions by U.S. Treasury and UK
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Hu in late 2025 under the name Chen Xiao’er as a key member of the "Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organization". The sanctions were paired with actions against Xinbi (or New Coin), a illicit Chinese-language crypto marketplace Hu allegedly used to move stolen assets. On March 26, 2026, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCD) sanctioned Xinbi as a critical financial layer for scam centers across Southeast Asia. The action also targeted Legend Innovation Co. and its director Eang Soklim as operator of #8 Park — described as Cambodia's largest scam compound; Thet Li, a key lieutenant of Prince Group chairman Chen Zhi, who has managed the Prince Group's international financial network, and Hu Xiaowei. These international sanctions provided the legal basis for Taiwanese authorities to seize approximately US Dollar 144.95 million in local assets, including luxury apartments in Taipei.
The UK Government sanctioned Hu for his role as a key financial enabler for the Prince Group. All UK-based funds and economic resources of Prince Group were frozend, worth estimated US Dollar 1.5 billion.
Hijacking around "Legend of Mir"
On July 24, 2011, the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau's Cyber Security Division in China busted a piracy network called “Knight Attack Group”, a criminal hacking ring that hijacked private server advertising platforms around the South Korean game "Legend of Mir" with DDoS attacks, reportedly skimming over $10 million in advertising revenue from almost 200 servers across China. Founder Cai Wen had recruted Hu Xiaowei, who was born in 1982 in Suqian, Jiangsu Province, graduated from Chongqing University in 2005 and worked for a local electronics company as a marketing manager. Hu was identified as the Chongqing ringleader, but he fled abroad. Caixin reported that also Chen Zhi was a member of the group but was not among those arrested.
On November 2 in 2011 Hai Lian Engineering Investment Group Limited 海聯工程投資集團有限公司 has been registered in Hong Kong, located on Concordia Plaza, Science Museum Road, Yau Tsim Mong. For the registration the name Chen Xiao'er has been used.
2011: Chen Zhi and Hu Xiaowei flee to Cambodia
When applying for a bank account in the British Isle of Man in 2019, Chen Zhi listed an unnamed uncle as the source of a $2 million loan used to establish his first Cambodian real estate company, as compliance documentation reveales. Speculations that Hu Xiaowei could be this "uncle" have not been confirmed. Journalism and law enforcement sources show that Chen Zhi likely amassed his foundational wealth in China's internet underworld through the "Knight Attack Group", where Hu Xiaowei has been involved. Corporate and investigative records show that Chen Zhi arrived from China's Fujian province and almost immediately plunged into Cambodia's real estate sector in 2011. This happened after the Chongqing police raided and dismantled the Knight Attack Group. At the same time Hu Xiaowei dislocated his activities to Cambodia. Chinese corporate records show, that 2015 both were shareholders of Zhongjing Technology Investment Co Ltd, registered in Beijing. This company was established on December 11, 2013.
Reports indicate that Hu Xiaowei apparently returned to China and was arrested in 2016 on charges related to a massive $850 million online gambling operation. He had reopened pirate servers for “The Legend of Mir 2.” Wemade Entertainment Co., Ltd., the copyright holder of the online game "Legend of Mir," filed a report with the Yinchuan police, alleging that Chongqing Xiaoxian Online Technology Co., Ltd., controlled by Hu, had been illegally operating the game by setting up private servers for "Legend of Mir". Police officers in Yinchuan, said that Chongqing Xiaoxian amassed over 6 billion yuan in illicit funds within two years of its establishment.
Investments in Singapore
Hu Xiaowei is linked to Future Oasis Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based company incorporated in 2022 and set up as a family office, whose sole shareholder is Future King, a British Virgin Islands-registered firm ultimately owned by Hu. In June 2026 the police of Singapore declared that they are investigating Hu Xiaowei and Qiu Wei Ren over alleged money laundering offences linked to Prince Group by the company Future Oasis. Since March 2026, more than S$600 million in cash and assets, including three properties, a yacht and luxury cars, bags and watches, have been seized or placed under prohibition of disposal orders by authorities in Singapore. Qiu had served as the director of a now-defunct Singapore management consultancy firm, Fly the Sky International Management, between 2021 and 2025. The firm had $2 million in start-up capital and five directors who held citizenships from Cambodia, China, Cyprus and Malaysia.
Shell companies on British Virgin Islands, acivities in Hongkong and investments in Singapore and United Kingdom
Future King Inc. is Hu’s primary holding company on British Virgin Islands (BVI), incorporated in February 2017. He used his alias Wu An Ming in Hong Kong stock exchange filings to control this company. Through Future King Inc., Hu owns the beneficial rights to several Hong Kong-based asset management firms, especially China Reserve Securities Ltd. and Future Wing Financial Company Ltd. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Future Wing Financial Company Limited received millions of dollars directly traced to cryptocurrency investment scams of Prince Group. China Reserve Securities, backed by its licensed financial status in Hong Kong, provided a veil of institutional legitimacy, allowing the network to layer and move funds through international banking channels. Future Oasis Pte Ltd was established in Singapore in 2022 as a family wealth office. Tthe network of this companies controlled by Hu Xiaowei was to channel the layered proceeds from the Hong Kong entities into Singapore to purchase high-value real estate, luxury yachts, supercars, and high-end consumer goods.
Future King Inc. owns several other shell companies registered in Hong Kong that are utilized to shuffle funds and manage physical properties: Future Cosmos Limited; Future Cosmos One Limited; Future Cosmos Two Limited; CN Crystal Limited and CN Breeze Limited. CN Breeze Limited according to OCCCRP was the registered owner of a private jet. Flight records showed the jet made multiple trips to Japan starting in March 2023, carrying key insiders of Prince Group.
More details about people and companies sanctioned by Office of Foreign Assets Control of U.S. Treasury.
The Hong Kong High Court in May 2026 has frozen HK$8.93 billion (USD 1.15 billion) in assets tied to the Prince Group's founder, Chen Zhi, and his associates—including Future King Inc. and its controller Hu Xiaowei —following an application by the Hong Kong Justice Department. Frozen are stock and crypto holdings and bank deposits, HK$400 million belonging explicitly to Hu Xiaowei. The Hong Kong High Court has scheduled a follow-up hearing for August 3 to review the injunction and determine whether the asset freeze will be extended.
Eagle Fortitude Limited is another company of Hu un British Virgin Islands, incorporated in May 2019, also sanctioned by OFAC on 23 June 2026. According to the U.S. authorities this company was utilized by Hu under his alias Chen Xiao'er to embed himself into legitimate equity markets. Hu used Eagle Fortitude Limited for takeovers and holding shares in publicly traded entities, such as Cayman-incorporated HKE Holdings Limited on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with the intention to get legal stock market gains.
Leisure Focus Limited is another company on BVI controlled by Hu, established in July 2020. it was blocked under the June 2026 US sanctions sweep to sever Hu’s ability to move capital through Caribbean offshore havens. Leisure Focus Limited acquired the Imperial College Sports Ground at Udney Park Road in Teddington in southwest London in August 2022, where Hu operated with the alias Wu An Ming.
Investigations by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed that Hu Xiaowei held a U.K. property portfolio valued at least at USD 45 million. According to OCCCRP he also purchased for 30 million British pounds ($39 million) a central London mansion in his own name in 2022, which was partly financed with a mortgage from Citibank. The mansion is a stone’s throw from Holland Park, in one of the most expensive residential areas in London.
The U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has frozen Hu's properties in March 2026.
Read also:
Chen Zhi: Cyberscam Tycoon escorted to China by Beijings most prominent SWAT Team - far away from U.S. Courts
Chen Zhi - Inside one of Asia's allegedly most sophisticated Transnational Criminal Organization. What happened
Friday, June 26, 2026
Monday, January 12, 2026
Chen Zhi: Cyberscam Tycoon escorted to China by Beijings most prominent SWAT Team - far away from U.S. Courts
This screenshot captured from a video released by the Criminal Investigative Department of Chinas Ministry of Public Security on Jan 8, 2026, shows Chen Zhi, who is brought to China by Beijings Blue Sword Commando Unit (蓝剑突击队), one of the most well-equipped and well-trained Special Police Units.Alleged scam tycoon Chen Zhi (陳志), founding chairman of Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group, has been arrested and extradited to China, Cambodias Interior Ministry has declared according to channelnewsasia.
Chen Zhi then was presented in a video released by the Criminal Investigative Department of Chinas Ministry of Public Security on Jan 8, 2026 by Chinas state media: Handcuffed, hood over head, hood taken away - and escorted by the Blue Sword Commando Unit (蓝剑突击队), the SWAT team of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.They may have taken him to Dongcheng District Detention Center in Beijing.
These pictures were shown just days after U.S. special forces had abducted Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, an ally of China, and presented to the media in New York. There are indications, that this was no coincidence. Both men were at the center of the strategic struggle between the two world powers.
Chen Zhi, born in Fujian province in China, now just 38 years old, had built a business empire with financial, property and tourism companies first in Cambodia and then expanded to over 30 countries, not only in Asia but also in the United Kingdom with its overseas territories (properties and companies in London, Isle of Man, Cayman islands, Virgin islands). In 2014 he had become a Cambodian citizen, what was possible with a minimum investment or donation to the government of USD 250'000. It never became clear, where his money came from to start his operations in Cambodia. But he then became advisor of Cambodia's long-time leader Hun Sen and his son Hun Manet, actually Prime Minister. He got the government-bestowed honorific "Neak Oknha", meaning "prominent tycoon". In a country, where China invested heavily along with its Belt-and-Road-Strategy. There are sources who say that Chen Zhi in Cambodia also collaborated with people, who worked for Chinese Intelligence services.
But Chen Zhi also invested in Palau, an archipelago nation in the western Pacific Ocean, associated with the United States, which handle the defence and foreign affairs and provide economic aid. The U.S. sees the islands as crucial to containing China's military expansion and responding to any aggression in the western Pacific, as the BBC notes. The Prince Group tried to lease Ngerbelas Island and establish resorts - close to U.S. military facilities. Other Chinese investors were also buying land nearby. And China tried to draw away Palau from the. U.S. influence with diplomatic actions and economic pressure. And to draw away from Taiwan: Palau is one of only a dozen nations that still recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state. So Chen Zhi got into the middle of a storm: the collision of the security strategy of the two superpowers China and USA.
In October 2025 U.S. federal prosecutors indicted Chen Zhi and his associates for operating Cambodian forced labor scam compounds and engagement in cryptocurrency fraud schemes and money laundering. They said that with the operations guided by Chen Zhi billions of dollars were stolen from victims in the United States and around the world, with so called pig-butchering, different forms of cyberscam, with luring people into investments.
This was only part of the storm: At the same time U.S. Treasury and UK FCDO announced sanctions imposed on 146 targets within "the Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organization (Prince Group TCO)". In addition Cambodia-based financial services conglomerate Huione Group was severed from the U.S. financial system. For years, they said, Huione Group had laundered proceeds of virtual currency scams and heists on behalf of malicious cyber actors. And the Justice Department’s National Security Division informed, that 127,271 Bitcoin from these criminal operations, currently worth approximately $15 billion, "are presently in the custody of the U.S. government". It did not say how the U.S. government got into posession of these Bitcoins. But it was one of the biggest sums confiscated in U.S. history, what illustrates the dimensions of cyberscam operations in Southeastasia and the world.
So tycoon Chen Zhi had lost his fortune by involvement in organized crime, but also, because he was seen as a threat to interests of U.S.Security policy. And he was seen as part of operations to widen Chinas influence. Operations often sustained by Chinese triads in Southeastasia and their collaboration with Chinese intelligence operations. His whereabouts were unknown. But he was demasked: While the Prince Group publicly presented itself as engaged in real estate development, banking, hospitality and philanthropy, while it poured millions of dollars into charitable projects in Cambodia, the U.S federal prosecutors alleged that Prince Group's core business consisted of operating forced-labor compounds throughout Cambodia executing industrial-scale "pig-butchering" cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes.
Demasked were also Cambodia's long-time leader Hun Sen, his son Hun Manet and other involved politicians, because such large-scale criminal operations could not have happened without being tolerated by Cambodian authorities. Chen Zhis case shows "how scam syndicates in Southeast Asia embedded themselves through philanthropy, political access and business ties", camboyanews analyzes.
Meanwhile the Chinese justice saw itself under pressure, to act against the Chinese cyberscam kingpins in Southeastasia, because thousands of Chinese citizens were victims of forced labour or fraud. In the last two years Chinas Ministry of Public Security sent police task forces to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand for crackdowns against online gambling, cyberscam and money laundering.
But also the USA have organized a FBI-taskforce for combatting cybercrime in Southeastasia. And after the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela it became clear: An U.S.-intervention to arrest Chen Zhi could happen anytime. Jacob Sims, expert for Human Rights, Transnational Crime and National Security in Cambodia, analyzes on Linkedin: "Despite harboring and abetting him for over a decade, sustained international pressure has clearly reached a point where inaction was no longer viable for the Cambodian government. Handing Chen Zhi to China was the path of least resistance. It defuses Western scrutiny while aligning with Beijing’s likely preference to keep a politically sensitive case out of U.S. and U.K. courts."
Therefore on Tuesday January 6, 3am a police force broke down the door of a luxury mansion in Tuol Kork district in Phnom Penh, the location, where Chen Zhi was hiding according to EBC Money News in Taipei. And then he was brought to Beijing by its most prominent Swat Team. The anchorman of EBC Money News asks, if Chen Zhi was Beijings spy in Taiwan, where he had a residence, and if he knows a lot of secrets of the Chinese Communist Party, that should not fall into the hands of U.S.Investigators.
These are speculations. The official interpretation was given by a statement by Cambodias interior ministry the day after Chen Zhis extradition:
Cambodian authorities "have arrested three Chinese nationals namely Chen Zhi, Xu Ji Liang, and Shao Ji Hui and extradited (them) to the People's Republic of China", the country's interior ministry said in a statement on Wednesday (Jan 7). Chen Zhi’s Cambodian nationality was revoked by royal decree in December 2025.
On January 8 2026 Chinas Ministry of Public Security says Chen Zhi was escorted back to China from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Wednesday by a Chinese working group, according to China Daily. "Investigators said Chen's syndicate is suspected of multiple crimes, including operating illegal gambling operations, committing fraud, engaging in illegal business activities and concealing criminal proceeds. Chen has been placed under compulsory measures, and the case remains under further investigation." A ministry official said according to China Daily, public security authorities will soon issue a wanted notice for the first batch of core members of Chen's syndicate and vowed to bring all fugitives to justice. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news conference on Thursday that combating online gambling and telecom fraud is a shared international responsibility. She said China has strengthened law enforcement cooperation with Cambodia and other countries to crack down on cross-border telecom fraud.
January 9 2026: Sally Jensen analyses in The Japan Times: "China is moving against the cyberscam tycoons making fortunes in Southeast Asia, driven by mounting public pressure and Beijing’s desire to keep control of judicial processes." She is citing Jacob Sims, a transnational crime expert and visiting fellow at Harvard University’s Asia Center, who said that Chen “has a number of reported ties to Chinese government officials.” She also points to She Zhijiang: The Chinese-born founder of Yatai Group, which allegedly built a notorious scam hub in Shwe Kokko on the Thai-Myanmar border — boarded a flight to China in handcuffs, extradited by Thailand, after spending three years behind bars in Bangkok. While in prison, She Zhijiang claimed to have previously acted as a spy for Beijing’s intelligence agency before he and his Myanmar urban development project were “betrayed” by the Chinese Communist Party.
Du Wen (内蒙古杜文), formerly Dean of the Inner Mongolia Academy of Law and Sociology and now living overseas, comments on Youtube: "Even now, many people still have not realized what role Chen Zhi actually played. He was not an ordinary tycoon, not merely the boss of a scam syndicate, and certainly not just a simple gang leader. Chen Zhi’s true identity was one of the CCP’s most dangerous and most valuable overseas “black gloves.” He was closely connected to the highest levels of the CCP and maintained close ties with the Ministry of State Security. For a long time, he undertook three categories of the darkest, least presentable work: first, money—responsible for laundering, transferring, and hiding enormous amounts of gray and black funds; second, people—through fraud, trafficking, control, and consumption of those “populations that could be sacrificed”; third, operations—providing practical, operational-level support for the Belt and Road Initiative, for geopolitics, and for gray-zone competition. Precisely because of this, the problem with Chen Zhi was never how much money he scammed, but how much he knew that could not be known by outsiders."
Related:
Chen Zhi - Inside one of Asia's allegedly most sophisticated Transnational Criminal Organization. What happened
Huang Yan: The Rise and Fall of Chen Zhi. Huang Yan is a journalist in Cambodia, who knows many details of Chen Zhis Prince Group
Hong Kong News Prince Group Chen Zhi Investigation Page
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