# China‑Japan arrests and US sanctions on Prince Group

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/chinajapan-crossborder-crime-arrests
> Updated: 2026-06-26T09:00:00.000Z. Sources: 18. Developments: 6.

In mid‑June 2026 Japanese police intensified a crackdown on cross‑border crime involving Chinese nationals. Earlier arrests targeted an underground bank, a Taizi Group telecom‑fraud executive, and a gold‑smuggling ring that concealed 49 kg of gold. On 22 June authorities detained 44‑year‑old Cypriot‑Chinese Hu Xiaowei, a senior figure of the Cambodia‑based Prince Group, for submitting false residency documents. The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control expanded sanctions that month, naming Hu the group’s “second‑in‑command” and freezing assets tied to him in Japan, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and other jurisdictions. The operation involved police in Japan, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and U.S. agencies. The following day Japanese investigators again arrested four Chinese citizens and a Japanese intermediary for hiding the gold in a life‑size dummy, a scheme valued at roughly ¥10.75 billion. The Chinese foreign ministry praised the joint effort against online gambling and fraud. U.S. sanctions later covered nine individuals and 26 entities linked to the Prince Group, accusing the network of stealing at least $10 billion from Americans in 2024. Hu’s Virgin Islands companies were identified as laundering vehicles. New details released after the arrest describe Prince Group as a transnational criminal organization involved in large‑scale crypto fraud, forced‑labour “pig‑butchering” scams and human‑trafficking, with an estimated $15 billion in Bitcoin stolen and a 127,271‑BTC forfeiture recorded in 2025. Thousands of migrant workers were allegedly coerced in Southeast Asian scam compounds. The group’s founder, Chen Zhi, has been indicted in the United States and extradited to China, while asset freezes and travel restrictions continue across multiple jurisdictions. On 23 June the U.S.

## Timeline

### 2026-06-26: US Seizes Cloud Infrastructure of Cambodia-Based Huione Group in Cyber Fraud Crackdown

US DOJ seized a cloud account of Cambodia’s Huione Group, while the Treasury sanctioned dozens of its affiliates, aiming to cripple a crypto‑money‑laundering network tied to global fraud.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-seizes-cloud-infrastructure-of-cambodia-based-huione-group-in-cyber-fraud-crackdown

### 2026-06-24: US sanctions Prince Group affiliates over Southeast Asian fraud scheme

The U.S. Treasury sanctioned 9 individuals and 26 entities tied to Prince Group, a Southeast Asian fraud network led by Chen Zhi, after estimating $10 billion lost by Americans in 2024.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-sanctions-prince-group-affiliates-over-southeast-asian-fraud-scheme

### 2026-06-23: US Treasury Sanctions Southeast Asian Scam Networks Targeting Americans

U.S. Treasury sanctions dozens of individuals and firms in Cambodia, Myanmar and Burma tied to fraud networks that stole $10 billion from Americans, seizing assets and a cloud account.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-treasury-sanctions-southeast-asian-scam-networks-targeting-americans

### 2026-06-22: Japan arrests senior members of Prince Group crime syndicate

Tokyo police arrested three senior Prince Group members tied to a vast China‑linked fraud and human‑trafficking network under U.S. and U.K. sanctions.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/japan-arrests-senior-members-of-prince-group-crime-syndicate

### 2026-06-22: Hu Xiaowei arrested in Japan as US expands sanctions on Prince Group

Hu Xiaowei, a senior Prince Group exec, was arrested in Japan for falsifying residency papers as the U.S. broadened sanctions on the $15 billion crypto fraud and forced‑labour syndicate across multiple nations.

10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/tokyo-arrest-of-prince-group-executive-hu-xiaowei-over-15b-crypto-scam

### 2026-06-17: Japan arrests three Chinese nationals over illegal underground bank operations

Japanese police arrested three Chinese nationals for operating an illegal underground bank that swapped yuan for yen and was linked to fraud and money‑laundering, in a joint Tokyo‑Okinawa investigation.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/japan-arrests-three-chinese-nationals-over-illegal-underground-bank-operations

---
Cite as: China‑Japan arrests and US sanctions on Prince Group. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/chinajapan-crossborder-crime-arrests