Cambodia Cracks Down on Cross-Border Crime After International Pressure

Cambodia has been under international pressure to crack down on cross-border cybercrime syndicates, and it seems the government is finally taking action. In January 2026, the country extradited billionaire Chinese businessman Chen Zhi to China, where he was accused of engaging in scam operations that stole billions in cryptocurrency. The US government had charged Chen with scam operations in 2025, and the UK government had sanctioned his business conglomerate, Prince Group, for fraud and money laundering.

Chen Zhi's rise to wealth was rapid, and it's clear he had connections with the Cambodian government. He was an advisor to the Interior Ministry and even received the honorary title of Oknha for donating over $500,000 to Cambodia. His business empire, Prince Group, operated a bank, Prince Bank, which was eventually suspended by the government. Chen's ties to the government were so strong that he was even an adviser to former Prime Minister Hun Sen and current Prime Minister Hun Manet.

The extradition of Chen Zhi and another high-profile figure, Li Xiong, who was the CEO of Huione Group, has sent a strong message to international investors. Li Xiong's group was accused of laundering billions of dollars in cryptocurrency and was sanctioned by the US and UK governments. The cases of Chen and Li demonstrate that the Cambodian government is finally taking steps to address the issue of cross-border crime, but it's clear that systemic corruption and weak regulatory oversight remain major challenges.