Cambodian authorities have frozen assets linked to alleged scam network Prince Group worth almost US$1 billion and are seeking INTERPOL assistance to track down 29 alleged ringleaders who have fled overseas, according to local media outlet The Phnom Penh Post.
Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, head of the Secretariat of Cambodia’s Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS), said investigators had identified 198 companies linked to Prince Group, including 98 registered in Cambodia and a further 100 operating overseas – part of an expanding investigation into technology-enabled fraud and money laundering within the conglomerate’s extensive corporate network.
Sinarith said courts had ordered the freezing of more than US$300 million held in bank accounts, alongside other assets linked to Prince Group estimated to be worth almost US$1 billion in total.
The assets reportedly include buildings, casinos, thousands of real estate properties and various movable assets.
Authorities are reviewing the legal basis and supporting evidence for determining how the properties should be managed while proceedings continue. Options under consideration include temporary state administration and eventual transfer into state ownership.
The investigation, which has been under way for several months, centers on Prince Group founder Chen Zhi and his associates, who Cambodian authorities have identified as key suspects in a case involving allegations of aggravated fraud committed by an organized group and aggravated money laundering.
According to Sinarith, investigators believe buildings and casino premises operated under the names of Prince Group-affiliated companies were used to conceal online scam operations.
Cambodian courts have issued arrest warrants for 32 individuals in connection with the investigation, while four others have been placed under judicial supervision. Six alleged ringleaders – Chen, Li Song, Liu Yin, Eng Dara, Eang Soklim and Huang Ron – have been arrested and referred to the courts for further proceedings.
Authorities are preparing requests for INTERPOL Red Notices covering at least 29 additional individuals believed to have fled overseas, while investigators continue to identify suspects and trace assets potentially connected to the alleged criminal activity, Sinarith revealed.
The investigation is being conducted in cooperation with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, China’s Ministry of Public Security and other international partners, with information and evidence being exchanged to support further judicial proceedings.
The Prince Group matter comes amid a broader Cambodian government campaign against technology-enabled fraud, which has increasingly focused on the premises, financial flows and corporate structures allegedly supporting scam operations.
In an update published on 2 September, state-run Agence Kampuchea Presse reported that Cambodia had frozen more than US$300 million in bank accounts linked to online scam crimes between July 2025 and 31 August 2026.
Over that period, 446 cases involving 3,927 accused individuals from 29 nationalities had been referred to the courts, according to the CCOS Secretariat. Authorities had also inspected 832 suspected locations and launched enforcement operations at 663 of them, including 86 major scam compounds.
The same report said authorities had taken legal action against 27 casinos linked to online scam crimes, revoking 18 licenses and suspending a further nine.
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