UK, US Impose Sanctions on Cambodian Scam Networks Exploiting Trafficked Workers
The United Kingdom and the United States have jointly imposed sweeping sanctions on a multinational criminal network accused of running large-scale online scam operations in Cambodia, Myanmar, and across Southeast Asia, where trafficked workers were forced to defraud victims worldwide.
According to the British government, the criminal syndicates lured victims through fake job advertisements, trapping them in compounds where they were coerced into carrying out online scams, including romance frauds and cryptocurrency investment schemes, under threats of violence and torture.
“The masterminds behind these horrific scam centres are ruining the lives of vulnerable people and buying up London homes to store their money,” said UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, announcing the sanctions on Tuesday.
The US Treasury Department described the move as its largest enforcement action in Southeast Asia, targeting 146 individuals linked to the Prince Group criminal organization, which was also sanctioned by Britain.
Britain imposed sanctions on six individuals and six entities, including Chen Zhi, a 38-year-old Chinese-Cambodian tycoon and chair of the Prince Group. Both governments accuse Chen of overseeing the construction of scam compounds used to detain and exploit workers.
US prosecutors revealed that Chen was indicted in Brooklyn federal court on October 8 on charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. He and his associates allegedly operated forced-labour camps in Cambodia, where