BANGKOK: Thailand has seized more than US$300 million in assets tied to criminal networks running multibillion-dollar scam centres in Southeast Asia, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Wednesday (Dec 3).
The announcement comes after authorities across Asia, Europe and the United States targeted Cambodia’s Prince Holding Group and its global business network with asset seizures and freezes worth billions of dollars.
In October, US authorities indicted Prince’s Chinese-born founder Chen Zhi, accusing him of presiding over forced labour camps in Cambodia where trafficked workers conduct online scams.
Anutin told reporters on Wednesday that alleged scammers targeted with asset seizures valued at more than US$300 million were “among the big ones”, including Chen, a Cambodian senator and two Thai nationals.
“All those responsible must be brought to justice under the law,” the prime minister said.
Thailand’s Anti-Money Laundering Office said on Tuesday it had seized around 100 items belonging to Prince’s Chen worth 373 million baht (US$11.7 million), including land, cash, luxury goods and jewellery.
Authorities said they had also confiscated assets worth nearly US$15 million from Kok An, a Cambodian senator, businessman and ally of former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
About US$290 million in assets were seized from two Thais with suspected links to scam operations.
Anutin did not say when the seizures occurred.
Source: CNA
