The Electric Fraud King, Chen Zhi, Has Been Arrested in Cambodia and Sent Back to China for Protection

On December 11, 2025, Thai warplanes conducted airstrikes on a Cambodian scam park, prompting a mass evacuation of people from the area. (Video screenshot)

[People News] According to a report by the 'Cambodia-China Times' on January 7, Chen Zhi, the founder and chairman of the Prince Group, was apprehended in Cambodia on charges of electric fraud and has been returned to China for investigation. The Cambodian Ministry of Interior also issued a statement earlier confirming that Chen Zhi and two other Chinese nationals were arrested and sent back to China. The Ministry noted that this operation was conducted at the request of the Chinese Communist Party authorities.

Reports from Cambodian media indicate that the Ministry of Interior stated that, at the request of the relevant departments of the Chinese Communist Party, Chen Zhi, Xu Ji Liang (音譯), and Shao Ji Hui were arrested as part of a cooperative effort to combat transnational crime and subsequently sent back to China.

The Ministry of Interior highlighted that the arrest took place on January 6. Prior to this, law enforcement agencies from both Cambodia and China had been conducting joint investigations and cooperation on related cases for several months. Additionally, under Cambodian law, Chen Zhi's Cambodian nationality was revoked in December of last year.

Chen Zhi faced prosecution and asset freezes from the U.S. Department of Justice and other jurisdictions last year for allegedly running a fraud operation and engaging in transnational money laundering, with the U.S. Treasury Department seizing assets reportedly valued at over $14 billion. Following these events, Chen Zhi's whereabouts became unknown.

Last year, media personality Sheng Xue revealed that Chen Zhi is the son of Huang Kunming's wife’s sister, who serves as the Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee. Chen Zhi is primarily responsible for managing the wealth of the Fujian faction within the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and laundering money for them. Qi Qiao Qiao is alleged to run a vast business empire alongside her husband, Deng Jiaguo.

According to Sheng Xue, telecom fraud and 'pig butchering' schemes are merely side projects for Chen Zhi, whose main focus is on laundering money for the elite. As a favoured associate of Qi Qiao Qiao, Chen Zhi has direct access to the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Xi family's base in Shenzhen, the Shenzhen Yingbin Hotel.

She further noted that the recent U.S. sanctions against Chen Zhi could result in a dramatic and immediate decrease in Qi Qiao Qiao's wealth. The 127,271 bitcoins held by Chen Zhi were seized by the U.S., valued at around $15 billion. His assets in the UK and 19 properties in London have also been frozen. Concurrently, the U.S. Treasury has added 146 individuals and entities linked to the Prince Group to its sanctions list.

Eric, a former Chinese agent who worked for the Prince Group, also disclosed last year that the close ties between the Prince Group and the Ministry of State Security make it one of the key agents for the Chinese government in conducting covert operations in Cambodia and across Southeast Asia.

Eric posted on platform X: "In recent days, concerning the Prince Group, many have noticed which prominent influencers are shaping the narrative, downplaying the ties between the Prince and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), or intentionally suggesting that the Prince is actually a target of the CCP's crackdown. High-ranking political security officials from Beijing and Chongqing are holding secret meetings at Chen Zhi's club, with cars providing transportation for guests throughout the entire process. The extent of collusion in terms of financial and manpower support is so deep, yet they are being cracked down on? Crack down on what? There have been numerous reports made to the police domestically; which of them has been investigated?" 

Last year, the well-known Hong Kong writer and online current affairs commentator Feng Qiguan also raised questions on his Facebook fan page "Feng Qiguan's Thirteen Dimensions. He pointed out that after the Prince Group was jointly targeted by the United States and the United Kingdom, many Hong Kong enterprises were implicated, and among the senior members of the fraud group, there were even individuals from Hong Kong. Furthermore, in recent years, countless Hong Kong citizens have become victims of fraud cases. Why are the US and UK authorities able to investigate, while the Hong Kong police cannot? 

He mentioned that after reviewing the indictment from the New York court, he suddenly had a realisation, understanding that both the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Public Security of the CCP were covering for Chen Zhi and the fraud group. Feng Qiguan referenced the content of the US indictment, indicating that, in addition to the Cambodian regime, the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Public Security of China were also shielding Chen Zhi and his fraud group. If this is indeed the case, then it cannot be blamed on the Hong Kong Secretary for Security, Tang Ping-Keung, for his lack of effectiveness in addressing the issue.

Mainland media often refer to reports from the 'Cambodia-China Times' stating that Chen Zhi has been apprehended and deported to China. However, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has yet to issue a response regarding this matter. The Cambodian Ministry of Interior has revealed that Chen Zhi's arrest was made at the request of the CCP. Consequently, his return to China has sparked scepticism from the international community, suggesting that this could be advantageous for the CCP in providing some form of protection for Chen Zhi. If he is found guilty of telecommunications fraud and money laundering in the United States, Chen Zhi could face a prison sentence of up to 40 years.

It is reported that Chen Zhi was born in 1987 in Fujian, acquired Cambodian citizenship in 2014, and established the Prince Group the following year, where he serves as chairman. The Prince Group operates in over 30 countries and manages numerous companies, but it has been accused of using real estate and finance as a facade, while actually profiting from a telecommunications fraud empire and human trafficking activities.
△