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Chinese gambling tycoon She Zhijiang extradited from Thailand to China
She Zhijiang, a Chinese national accused of masterminding a sprawling illegal gambling network across Southeast Asia, was extradited to China on Wednesday, ending his prolonged legal battle against the order. Thai authorities handed him over at a Bangkok airport, where he was escorted by two security officials, following a Thai court's decision this week to uphold the extradition request.
Extradition coincides with Thailand-China diplomatic milestone
The transfer comes ahead of a historic state visit by Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn to Beijing-the first by a reigning Thai monarch to China. Analysts view the trip as a sign of strengthening bilateral relations, though neither government has explicitly linked it to She's case.
She had been detained in Thailand since 2022, when local police arrested him at China's request via Interpol. Beijing alleges he orchestrated illegal online gambling operations, a charge central to its broader crackdown on cross-border cybercrime syndicate hubs in Southeast Asia.
Notorious scam hubs tied to She's empire
Among She's most infamous ventures is Shwe Kokko, a city in Myanmar near the Thai border. Marketed in promotional materials as a luxury resort for Chinese tourists, the development has instead become synonymous with fraud, money laundering, and human trafficking, according to investigations by the BBC and Western governments.
During a visit earlier this year, BBC reporters observed few legitimate tourists in Shwe Kokko. Locals confirmed that scam operations persisted despite public denials. She's company, Yatai International Holdings, has been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury and UK government for its alleged role in facilitating rights abuses within these compounds.
"Our company would never accept telecom fraud and scams," She told the BBC from prison this year, though he acknowledged that scammers could enter Shwe Kokko because the city was "completely open to anyone."
From rural China to Southeast Asia's underworld
Born in 1982 in a poverty-stricken village in China's Hunan province, She left school at 14 and taught himself computer coding. By his early 20s, he had relocated to the Philippines, where he entered the online gambling industry-illegal in China. In 2014, a Chinese court convicted him of operating an illegal lottery.
Over the following decade, She expanded his operations to Cambodia and other regional hubs. He later acquired citizenship in Cambodia and Myanmar, according to U.S. Treasury documents, further embedding his influence in the region's shadow economy.
Broader crackdown on Southeast Asia's scam epidemic
She's extradition underscores China's escalating campaign against cybercrime syndicates that have ensnared hundreds of thousands of victims-many of them Chinese nationals lured by false job offers. The United Nations estimates that scam centers in Southeast Asia hold captives under coercive conditions, forcing them to defraud others online or face violence.
In recent months, Chinese courts have handed down death sentences to multiple members of so-called "mafia" families tied to these operations, signaling Beijing's zero-tolerance stance. She's case, however, stands out due to the scale of his alleged empire and its geopolitical entanglements.
What's next
She now faces trial in China, where prosecutors are expected to focus on charges related to illegal gambling, fraud, and organized crime. Legal experts note that his dual citizenship in Cambodia and Myanmar could complicate proceedings, though China's extradition victory suggests strong diplomatic leverage.
