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: Scam Center
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 ...
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 ...
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 -- ...
More than 2,000 Arrests in Raid on Notorious Scam Hub in Myanmar
Myanmar’s army said more than 2,000 people were arrested in a raid on KK Park, a notorious center for telecom scams close to the Thai border. The military reportedly also seized thirty terminals used to connect the center to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet network. ...
Mass Arrests in Myanmar as Scam Gang Crackdown Heads to Court
More than 57,000 Chinese nationals have been arrested in Myanmar amid a mass crackdown on gangs running telecoms fraud operations, frequently staffed by victims of trafficking. China’s Ministry of Public Security announced the arrests on Wednesday and said they were carried ...
Cambodia’s Prince Group, Target of U.S. and UK Sanctions
U.S. and UK authorities unveiled sanctions this week against Chen Zhi, a British-Cambodian tycoon accused of running cyberscam operations where workers, some trafficked, carry out transnational fraud schemes that have netted billions of dollars. AFP takes a look at the man, ...
Nigeria Deports 60 Chinese, 39 Filipino Scammers
Nigeria has deported 102 foreigners including 60 Chinese nationals and 39 Filipinos convicted of "cyber-terrorism and internet fraud", its anti-corruption agency said Thursday. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had said in an earlier statement that 50 Chinese were among ...
Chinese Scam Syndicates Shift Base from Southeast Asia to Africa, Report Reveals
Chinese cybercrime networks are expanding operations into Africa as crackdowns intensify in Southeast Asia, according to a recent report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The agency describes the shift as part of a broader trend in which crime “spreads like ...
Thailand Repatriates Hundreds More Chinese Scam Center Workers
Hundreds of Chinese nationals freed from Myanmar online scam centres flew home through Thailand on Thursday, as the kingdom said it aimed to repatriate 1,500 such workers a week. Thailand, Myanmar and China have been making efforts in recent weeks to ...
China’s Role in Southeast Asia’s Latest Scam Center Crackdown
China, Thailand, and Myanmar last week ramped up efforts to curb cyber scams on the Thai-Myanmar border, working to free the foreign workers inside. AFP examines why the crackdown is occurring now and its broader implications for relations between the three ...