Society & Culture / Social Issues / Crime & Justice

The $15B Bitcoin Takedown: Inside the Fall of Cambodia’s Scam Kingpin Chen Zhi

Chen Zhi, the founder and chairman of Cambodia’s Prince Holding Group and a former "Neak Oknha" (Duke), was extradited to China in January 2026. His Cambodian citizenship was revoked shortly before his arrest following a massive multi-jurisdictional investigation. Authorities identify Chen as the mastermind behind one of Asia's largest transnational criminal organizations, which utilized a legitimate business conglomerate to mask industrial-scale "pig butchering" scams, illegal gambling, and money laundering. The syndicate operated fortified compounds in Cambodia where trafficked workers were forced into cyber-fraud under threat of violence and torture. The investigation resulted in the largest-ever asset forfeiture in U.S. Department of Justice history, with the seizure of approximately 127,271 Bitcoin (worth roughly $15 billion). The fallout has led to the collapse of the Prince Group empire, including the liquidation of Prince Bank and the suspension of sales for major luxury real estate project