Japanese authorities arrest suspected top executive of scam operator Prince Group
Osaka, Japan
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Authorities in Japan have arrested a 44-year-old they suspect is a top executive in scam center operator Prince Group, according to local media.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on 14 June arrested Hu Shi, a Cypriot national, on suspicion of falsifying documents. According to NHK and The Asahi Shimbun, police also arrested two Chinese nationals who had allegedly filed paperwork for Hu.
Japanese authorities believe that Hu is one of 146 people and business entities named in US sanctions due to their links to the Cambodia-based scam operations run by Prince Group.
The alleged mastermind behind Prince Group, Chen Zhi, was arrested in Cambodia and extradited to China, according to a statement issued by Cambodia’s interior ministry in January.
Before his detention, Hu told Reuters on 23 April that he was not the leader of Prince Group. However, Japanese authorities have been searching for Hu, tracking him to Osaka and arresting him after a search of luxury hotels in the region, according to The Asahi Shimbun.
Investigators are working to determine the possible extent of Hu’s activities, given that corporate records detail Hu as a representative director of a trading company established in Tokyo in April of 2023, which saw a significant increase in capital in a three-year period.
Hu’s address on the corporate registry was frequently changed, initially being listed as South London, later shifting to Tokyo, then to numerous locations in Osaka.
Authorities in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan have already seized assets or detained individuals thought to be linked to Prince Group and are continuing their investigation into other suspects.