UK, US launch coordinated crackdown on global scam network operating in Southeast Asia

New Delhi [India], October 16 (ANI): The British High Commission in India on Wednesday said that the United Kingdom has announced joint action with the United States to make Southeast Asia safer from scams.

According to the statement, masterminds behind industrial-scale scam centres in Southeast Asia have been targeted by sanctions in coordination with the US. The move aims to expose and disrupt the network's operations, effectively locking them out of the UK's financial system.

The British High Commission said the UK is helping to tackle an economic scourge that cost East and Southeast Asia around USD 37 billion in 2023.

It further noted that the UK has sanctioned a multi-billion-pound global network involved in operating scam centres that torture their trafficked workers.

The joint operation comes after a major announcement by the US Treasury Department on Tuesday, marking what it called its most extensive enforcement action in Southeast Asia. The US targeted 146 people connected to the Cambodia-based Prince Group, which has been labelled a transnational criminal organisation.

As part of the same coordinated effort, the United Kingdom introduced sanctions against six individuals and entities linked to the group, freezing 19 properties in London worth over 100 million pounds (USD 134 million).

"Today's action represents one of the most significant strikes ever against the global scourge of human trafficking and cyber-enabled financial fraud," said US Attorney General Pam Bondi.

In a related development, US federal prosecutors unveiled an indictment against Chinese-Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi, also known as Vincent, who chairs the Prince Group. The 37-year-old faces charges of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy and could be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison if found guilty.

The US Department of Justice also revealed that it had initiated its largest-ever forfeiture case against the group, seizing Bitcoin valued at more than USD 14 billion based on current market prices. (ANI)

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