BANGKOK (11/11/2025): A Thai court has ruled to extradite She Zhijiang, a notorious Chinese national and alleged gambling kingpin, back to his home country to face a battery of criminal charges, according to sources late Tuesday.
The decision marks a significant victory for Beijing, which has been pursuing She for years over accusations that he masterminded one of Asia's largest cross-border online gambling and cyber-fraud empires. She Zhijiang, also known by the Cambodian passport alias "Tang Kriang Kai," was arrested in Thailand in August 2022 on an Interpol Red Notice.
The Man Behind a "Criminal City"
She Zhijiang, 41, is not a low-level operator. He is the high-profile chairman of the Yatai International Holding Group, the developer behind the controversial Yatai New City in Shwe Kokko, Myanmar.
This sprawling, multi-billion-dollar "special economic zone," located on the border with Thailand, has been identified by international law enforcement and human rights groups as a semi-lawless haven for:
Massive Online Gambling: Running illicit casino operations targeting mainland Chinese citizens.
Cyber Scams: Allegedly housing "pig-butchering" scam compounds.
Human Trafficking: Reports have long linked the area to syndicates that lure and trap workers from across Asia into forced labor.
While She has previously claimed his project was a legitimate part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing publicly distanced itself from the project years ago.
The Charges He Faces
Chinese authorities first issued a warrant for She in 2018. The charges he faces in China are severe and relate to operating illegal gambling rings and large-scale fraud.
Prosecutors allege that his syndicate illegally ran online lotteries and gambling operations, amassing hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit profits by defrauding victims across China and Southeast Asia. The scale of the operation is believed to be one of the largest of its kind, involving thousands of participants and staggering financial losses for its victims.
A Regional Clampdown
She's extradition is a major development in a broader, region-wide clampdown on transnational cybercrime. For years, criminal syndicates have used the relative lawlessness and regulatory gaps in parts of Southeast Asia to build fortified compounds dedicated to online fraud and illegal gambling.
The court's decision to approve his extradition signals strengthening cooperation between China and Thailand on law enforcement. It sends a powerful message that Thailand will not serve as a safe haven for high-profile fugitives. After more than three years in Thai custody fighting the extradition, She Zhijiang now faces the full force of the Chinese justice system.
CaliToday.Net