She Zhijiang | |
|---|---|
| 佘智江 | |
| Born | She Zhijiang (佘智江) 1982 (age 42–43)[1] |
| Other names |
|
| Citizenship | Chinese (according to the PRC's Foreign Ministry)[3] Cambodian (since 2017) |
| Occupation |
|
| Organization | Yatai International Holdings Group |
| Conviction | Illegal lottery business targeting Chinese online users (2014 inShandong) |
Capture status | Detained |
Date apprehended | 13 August 2022 (apprehended and imprisoned in Thailand) 10 November 2025 (extradited to China) |
| Imprisoned at | Zhenjiang, China |
She Zhijiang (Chinese:佘智江;pinyin:Shé Zhìjiāng), known asTang Kriang Kai (Khmer:តាំង គ្រាង ខាយ),[4] and by numerous other aliases includingShe Lunkai, andDylan She,[note 1] is aChinese Cambodianbusinessman. As the chairman of theYatai International Holdings Group, he and his group has long been engaged in investment and operation in grey Industries such as thegambling industry in Southeast Asia. The main targets of these industries are Chinese citizens (China's strict prohibition ongambling has led to the rampantonline gambling industry targeting Chinese citizens) and Southeast Asians.[5] As a convicted criminal in China, She Zhijiang was a fugitive until his capture byThai police in August 2022. His business operations have been linked with human trafficking, extortion, and cyber scams.[6][7] On 10 November 2025 he was extradited to China.
He was born inc. 1982 inShaodong,Hunan,China.
His company, Yatai International Holdings Group (abbreviated Yatai IHG), is registered inHong Kong and headquartered inThailand.[5] He became a fugitive in 2012, after fleeing Chinese authorities.[8] In 2014, a Shandong court convicted him of running an illegal lottery business in the Philippines that targeted Chinese online users, and had netted US$298 million in profits.[9][10]
In 2015, he began building a business in Cambodia, involved in the illicit business of helping Chinese gamblers front-load gambling bets made in Cambodian casinos.[5] From there, he expanded his business interests to the Philippines and acquired ownership of one of Manila's largest spa and entertainment centers.[5] In January 2017, he acquired Cambodian citizenship, during which he changed his name to Tang Kriang Kai.[8][11] Cambodia's government grants citizenship to individuals who donate at least US$250,000 to the government.[8] Between January 2018 and February 2021, he allegedly colluded to register gambling companies and recruited 330,000 gamblers, netting US$22.2 million in proceeds from gambling scams.[12]
In 2017, Yatai received a conditional permit from theMyanmar Investment Commission to develop a small-scale housing estate inShwe Kokko, near the Burmese-Thai border town ofMyawaddy.[5]The Nation alleged thatWan Kuok-koi, a former leader of the14K syndicate, was a co-investor in the project.[13]
Shwe Kokko is controlled by the Kayin StateBorder Guard Forces (BGF), consisting of formerDemocratic Karen Buddhist Army forces that were formally integrated into theMyanmar Armed Forces in 2010.[5][1] In 2019, the Cambodian government banned online gambling, which had come to dominate the local economy inSihanoukville.[5][14] In response, Chinese casino and other illicit cyber scam operators quickly exited Cambodia, and found a new base at Yatai's development and similar Chinese-led developments like Saixigang and Huanya International New City Project, along Myanmar's borders.[5]
In promotional materials, Yatai claimed to be developing a US$15 billion special economic zone called the Yatai New City, encompassing 120 square kilometres (46 sq mi).[5] The scale of Yatai's ongoing development surpassed what had been approved by the Burmese government, prompting additional scrutiny from Burmese authorities.[15] In 2020, Myanmar's civilian-led government formed a tribunal to investigate irregularities in the Yatai development project, successfully halting the project.[16][17] Tensions between the Kayin State Border Guard Force and the Myanmar Armed Forces escalated over the development.[18] Thegovernment of the People's Republic of China distanced itself from Yatai's development, after an expose on She was published byCaixin.[19][2]
However, after the2021 Myanmar coup d'état, during which the Burmese military deposed the civilian-led government, the military became pre-occupied with addressing the ensuingMyanmar civil war, enabling the development in Shwe Kokko, now a regional human trafficking and cyber scamming hub, to resume.[20][21][16][22] Buildings have been converted into prison-like hubs from which cybercriminals run scams that target internet users around the world.[23] In December 2023, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on She Zhijiang for being linked to "forced labour schemes" in which "victims were trafficked to work for online scam farms".[24][25]
On 13 August 2022, Thai police arrested She in Bangkok, with plans to extradite him to China to face criminal charges.[12] After his appearance in a documentary forAl Jazeera he was moved out his detention center.[26]
As of January 2025[update], he was being kept inKlong Prem Central Prison in Thailand, having been moved there fromBangkok Remand Prison in October 2024.[27][3] His lawyers have claimed that he had been subjected to abuse in prison.[3] It was reported that he had been kept in chains until early December 2024.[27][27]
Since being arrested by Thai police, She Zhijiang has repeatedly claimed that he is a Chinese spy and will be “killed” by the Chinese government “for political purposes”.[12][14] Through these statements, he sought not to beextradited to China to face trial.[23]
In September 2024, She Zhijiang appeared in aAl Jazeera short documentary.[28][29] He claimed to have been recruited by the Chinese government in 2016 while in the Philippines.[30] In this documentary, he also alleged former Philippine mayorAlice Guo who governed the town ofBamban in the Philippines is also a Chinese spy “just like him”. He called on Guo to admit her "spy identity" as soon as possible. He expressed his hope to “cooperate” with the Philippine government. Alice Guo denied knowing She Zhijiang inHouse of Representatives inquiries andSenate hearings.[28][29]
On November 10, 2025, Thailand's Office of the Attorney General announced that the appeal court had upheld ruling approving She Zhijiang's extradition to China.[31] She was transferred from the Bangkok Remand Prison to a detention facility at Suvarnabhumi Police Station before being handed over to the Chinese police.[32]
On November 12, She was escorted toNanjing Lukou International Airport by airplane.[33]
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