When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most important global coordination forums. Mark my words, I said, soon The Economist will be like “Uhhh, the G20 is OVER – it’s the ...
Category: Crime
China Repatriates 952 After Joint Scam Crackdown in Myanmar
China’s national police agency said Chinese officers, working with counterparts from Thailand and Myanmar, arrested suspects and repatriated 952 Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in telecommunication fraud during joint operations along Myanmar’s border. The operations targeted scam and gambling compounds, ...
Chinese Detainees Riot in Thai Detention Center, 15 Charged
Hundreds of Chinese nationals accused of fleeing online scam hubs in Myanmar rioted inside a Thai immigration detention center Wednesday night. The Chinese detainees riot came as Thailand and China were stepping up deportation back to China. The disturbance involved ...
Nepal Charges Chinese Company with Corruption
An anti-corruption body in Nepal charged 55 people, including five ex-ministers, with corruption. They are accused of colluding with China CAMC Engineering Co., a subsidiary of the state-owned corporation Sinomach, in corruption related to an airport tender. The body ...
Kidnapping of Chinese Road Builders in Nigeria Underscores Rising Security Fears
Reports are coming out from Western Nigeria that two Chinese nationals supervising the construction of a 130km road project near the border with Benin were kidnapped by bandits. The incident took place last Monday, but news of the attack only ...
Thailand Suspends Prison Boss Over Alleged Privileges for Chinese Inmates
Thai authorities have suspended a prison chief in Bangkok over allegations that high-profile Chinese inmates were granted access to women in a private cell and other privileges, the justice ministry said. The scandal erupted last week after local media reported two ...
Chinese Woman Who Faked Nationality to Become Philippine Mayor Jailed for Trafficking
A Chinese woman who faked Philippine nationality to become a town mayor was sentenced Thursday to life in prison on human trafficking charges, a Manila regional court said. Alice Guo, who served as mayor of a town north of the capital, ...
Indonesia Detains Man Wanted in China Over $138 Million Loan Default
Indonesian authorities said on Tuesday they had detained a Chinese real estate executive wanted over the default of a $138 million corporate loan. The 58-year-old man, identified only as WZ, was arrested on Indonesia's western island of Batam on Thursday after ...
The Capture of a Chinese Fentanyl Kingpin Sets Off a Storm of Pride and Unease Online
The recent capture of Zhang Zhidong, a Chinese fentanyl kingpin, by Mexican authorities has triggered a wave of conflicted reactions across Chinese social media. He quickly earned the nickname “the Chinese Walter White,” a reference to the anti-hero of ...
Alleged Chinese Scam Kingpin Extradited From Thailand: Police
An alleged Chinese racketeer linked to a hugely lucrative scam hub in Myanmar was extradited from Thailand to China on Wednesday, a police official in Bangkok told AFP. She Zhijiang had been in Thai custody since 2022 after spending more than ...
Thai Court Rules Chinese Scam Hub Tycoon to Be Extradited
A tycoon linked to illegal scam hub operations on the Thai-Myanmar border will be extradited to face criminal charges in China, a court in Bangkok ordered on Monday. Chinese businessman She Zhijiang, 43, has been in detention in Thailand since 2022, ...
China Issues Death Sentences to 5 Members of Myanmar Gang
China sentenced five people to death on Tuesday for their involvement in a violent criminal gang with fraud operations in Myanmar's Kokang region along the border, state media reported. Scam compounds have flourished in Myanmar's lawless borderlands, staffed by foreigners -- ...
Alleged Chinese Fentanyl Kingpin Extradited From Cuba to US: Mexico Govt
A Chinese citizen accused of trafficking fentanyl has been extradited from Cuba to the United States, according to the Mexican government, which helped facilitate the transfer. Zhi Dong Zhang -- known as "Brother Wang" -- escaped house arrest in Mexico in ...