UK sanctions crypto platforms and key operators tied to Southeast Asia scam centres, targeting trafficked workers, stolen data sales, and laundered assets in a major international crackdown, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
The United Kingdom has intensified its fight against organised online fraud in Southeast Asia, imposing sanctions on a cryptocurrency network that supports illegal scam operations targeting British citizens and exploiting trafficked workers.
The government announced that Legend Innovation Co., operator of the so-called #8 Park compound in Cambodia, Xinbi – a Chinese-language crypto marketplace – and key associates linked to the notorious Prince Group are now under sanctions. The move aims to dismantle networks that sell stolen personal data, launder illicit profits, and enable large-scale online fraud.
#8 Park, described as Cambodia’s largest scam facility, reportedly has the capacity to house 20,000 trafficked workers. Victims are lured under the guise of legitimate employment before being coerced to commit fraud, including romantic and investment scams targeting victims overseas.
Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, said: “Our sanctions today send a clear message: We will not allow British people to become victims of these dreadful scams or tolerate the awful human rights abuses perpetrated in these scam centres.”
The sanctions will isolate Xinbi from the legitimate cryptocurrency system, disrupting its ability to transact, while previous UK measures forced BYEX – a similar platform – to shut down. London-based assets connected to the network, including high-value properties, have also been frozen.
Lord Hanson, Fraud Minister, emphasised the global scale of the threat, highlighting the UK’s Online Crime Centre and INTERPOL Global Fraud Taskforce as tools to combat cross-border organised fraud. “Fraud is a global crime run by organised networks. Actions like these sanctions show our commitment to protect the public and disrupt criminals worldwide,” he said.
Following the UK sanctions, Cambodian authorities have launched the country’s largest-ever crackdown on scam operations, raiding an estimated 2,500 sites, closing hundreds of scam centres, and freeing tens of thousands of trafficked workers.
