Chinese authorities have set a one-month deadline for associates of Chen Zhi's scam operation to surrender and confess in exchange for lighter or reduced punishment.
On Thursday (15 Jan), Chinese authorities called on Chen Zhi's criminal associates—he is accused of leading a call center scam and online fraud—to voluntarily surrender in exchange for reduced penalties, following his extradition from Cambodia to China as a cross-border fugitive last week.
Chen has been charged by the U.S. with fraud and money laundering, accused of running a multi-billion-dollar cyber scam network based in Cambodia. Beijing authorities describe him as the "head of a major transnational criminal network involved in gambling and large-scale fraud."
China’s Ministry of Public Security said on Thursday that fugitives who surrender before 15 February and "truthfully confess their crimes" may qualify for "sentence reduction or mitigation."
The ministry warned that those who fail to surrender by the deadline will face a "full-scale manhunt," urging suspects to "seize this opportunity carefully."
Chen is a wealthy businessman and the founder of Prince Group, a large conglomerate in Cambodia, which is currently under strict investigation by authorities.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Chen is behind forced labor centers across Cambodia, where many laborers, victims of human trafficking, are held in prison-like facilities surrounded by high walls and barbed wire.
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Source:cna