The building in Phnom Penh that housed the Prince Group's headquarters, November 2025. (©Kyodo)
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Fraud has become a global industry, with annual losses worldwide estimated at between ¥60 trillion and ¥150 trillion (roughly $369 billion to $922 billion). In June, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested a suspect in Japan believed to be a senior executive of the Prince Group, a Cambodian conglomerate with interests in real estate, casinos, and financial services.
International Crackdown
The United States has accused the Prince Group of secretly running criminal operations involving sophisticated fraud and money laundering. It indicted the group's Chinese-Cambodian founder while he remained at large and imposed economic sanctions on the conglomerate. The United Kingdom also imposed sanctions on the group.
Cambodian authorities later arrested the founder and extradited him to China, where he is now on trial. The case has prompted a coordinated international crackdown.
According to US authorities and other sources, the Prince Group operated more than 10 "scam compounds" in Cambodia, where trafficked victims were forced to carry out investment fraud. The group allegedly ran large-scale scams targeting victims in Europe, North America, and China. Japan may also have been among its targets.
Some of those forced to work in the scam compounds are believed to have been Japanese nationals, and the organization has been described as one of Asia's largest criminal syndicates.
Japan Connection
The suspect arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police is a Cypriot national of Chinese origin believed to be one of the Prince Group's top executives.
A company headed by the suspect was established in Tokyo three years ago, and several other firms linked to the Prince Group have also been set up in Japan. The suspect's registered addresses shifted between London, Tokyo's Minato Ward, and Suita in Osaka Prefecture, raising suspicions.
After monitoring the suspect's activities, Tokyo police arrested the individual on suspicion of falsely registering a residential address in Tokyo's Chuo Ward despite not actually living there.
The case could serve as a starting point for uncovering the Prince Group's activities in Japan and tracing the suspect's movements.
Closing the Gaps
The Japanese government has not designated the Prince Group as a sanctions target, raising concerns that international criminal organizations could exploit this gap and use Japan as a safe haven.
Other criminal organizations similar to the Prince Group have established bases across Southeast Asia, many of them operating under the influence of Chinese criminal networks.
From a geopolitical perspective, there are concerns that these groups could expand their operations into Japan, deploy personnel, and conduct clandestine activities.
Closer intelligence sharing and stronger cooperation with law enforcement agencies in China and other countries will be needed to tighten the net around transnational criminal organizations.
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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