Businessman Chen Zhi (also known as Vincent), Chairman of the billion-dollar Prince Group, was once considered a symbol of success and a powerful philanthropist in Cambodia. However, behind that cover, he was accused of concealing a sophisticated criminal activity.
On October 14, a US court exposed Chen Zhi as the leader of a global fraud empire. The indictment states that he used Prince Group as a barrier, detained and forced thousands of workers in fraudulent camps to appropriate billions of dollars, and brutally punished those who opposed them.
The capital of the empire defrauded billions of USD
The Chen Zhi Imperial Administrative Center is located in Yatai New City, a large-scale project in the Shwe Kokko region of Myanmar, near the Thai border.
Despite being promoted as a $15 billion smart city, international news agencies show that it is effectively a base for criminal activities. Yatai New City is home to dozens of online gambling establishments and fraud centers and is also a place to detain tens of thousands of forced workers.
From this center, Chen Zhi's network has expanded to the entire area. The organization operates manycasinoes and fraudulent activities in the city of Sihanoukville in Cambodia, and uses the Philippines as a server placement for gambling websites.
"victims" forced to become "criminals"
To operate a huge 24/7 scam machine, Chen Zhi's empire needs abundant human resources, and they have created one of the largest human trafficking crises in the region. Tens of thousands of people from all over Asia, including many Vietnamese, have been lured by advertisements for "easy work, high salary".
When arriving, their passports were confiscated, they were sold from one company to another, and they were detained in complexes that were strictly guarded. The US Department of Justice also accused Chen Zhi of participating in the use of force against victims in forced labor camps.
According to the victims, they were forced to work 15-16 hours a day, forced to learn scams targeting their compatriots. If they do not meet the target or resist, they will be be beaten, electrocuted or sold elsewhere. From victims, they are forced to become criminals to survive.
Responding to the allegations, Cambodia's Home Affairs Ministry spokesman Touch Sokhak said the government always complies with the law when granting licenses to investors and cannot predict the behavior of an individual in the future.
He emphasized that Cambodia does not cover up crimes and hoped that the US and the UK would provide full legal evidence under international law to prove the allegations against Chen Zhi and Prince Group.
