Hu Xiaowei arrested in Japan as US expands sanctions on Prince Group

Tokyo police arrested 44‑year‑old Cypriot national Hu Xiaowei, also known as Hu Shi, Chen Xiao’er and Wu An Ming, on 22 June for submitting false residency documents. He is a senior executive of the Cambodia‑based Prince Group, which U.S. authorities have labeled a transnational criminal organization responsible for large‑scale crypto fraud, forced‑labor “pig‑butchering” scams and human‑trafficking operations. U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control expanded its sanctions in June, targeting nine individuals and 26 entities across Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions, naming Hu Xiaowei as the group’s “second in command.” The crackdown is coordinated with law‑enforcement agencies in Japan, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and other allies. U.S. officials note that Prince Group’s schemes have stolen roughly $15 billion in Bitcoin—represented by a 127,271‑BTC forfeiture in 2025—and coerced thousands of migrant workers in Southeast Asian scam compounds. The group’s chairman, Chen Zhi, has been indicted in the United States and extradited to China. Asset freezes and travel restrictions have been imposed on Hu’s properties in Japan, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and elsewhere, marking a broad multinational effort to dismantle the network.