China repatriates key gambling, fraud suspect from Cambodia

Chinese police recently repatriated Liu Ren, a key suspect in a major transnational gambling and telecom fraud case, from Cambodia, the Ministry of Public Security said on Wednesday, marking another result of law enforcement cooperation between the two countries.

Liu is a core member of a criminal syndicate led by Chen Zhi, a Chinese national identified by authorities as the ringleader of a major cross-border gambling and fraud network. He was repatriated from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, earlier this year.

Investigators said Chen directed Liu and others to establish the Jinbei Group in Cambodia in 2016. The group operated multiple online gambling platforms targeting Chinese citizens and encouraging gambling activities.

Since 2020, the group has also run telecom fraud compounds in Cambodia, carrying out large-scale online fraud schemes involving extremely large sums of money, police said.

Liu is also suspected of involvement in serious violent crimes, including illegal detention and intentional injury. He has been placed under criminal compulsory measures, and further investigations are underway.

In April, Li Xiong, a former senior figure in a company affiliated with the Chen syndicate, was escorted back to China from Phnom Penh. He is suspected of operating casinos, fraud, illegal business operations and concealing criminal proceeds.

Since the beginning of this year, China and Cambodia have stepped up practical law enforcement cooperation in response to the severe situation of telecom and online fraud targeting Chinese citizens in Cambodia. The two countries have intensified joint crackdowns on fraud compounds and bases and arrested key financiers and core members of criminal networks.

So far, Cambodian authorities have repatriated more than 20,000 suspects involved in telecom fraud cases to China, along with several suspects linked to homicide cases, according to the ministry. Chinese police have organized coordinated investigations across more than 10 provinces, including Shanxi, Shandong and Hunan.

The ministry said it will maintain a high-pressure crackdown on transnational telecom and online fraud, deepen law enforcement cooperation with relevant countries and advance joint operations. Authorities will also intensify efforts to dismantle fraud hubs, apprehend fugitives and consolidate the results of ongoing crackdowns.