UK Sanctions Crypto Marketplace Xinbi in Crackdown on Southeast Asian Scam Centers

The UK government has sanctioned Chinese-language cryptocurrency marketplace Xinbi for selling stolen personal data and satellite equipment to fraudsters operating from scam compounds in Southeast Asia. The sanctions also target Legend Innovation Co., operator of Cambodia's largest scam compound #8 Park with capacity for 20,000 trafficked workers, along with its director Eang Soklim and Prince Group lieutenant Thet Li. Previous UK sanctions against the Prince Group in 2024 triggered over £1 billion in asset freezes and closures of hundreds of scam centers. The action is part of coordinated international enforcement including the U.S. Scam Center Strike Force, which has seized approximately $580 million in cryptocurrency, and follows Interpol's November 2024 designation of these networks as a global threat amid warnings from Amnesty International about a humanitarian crisis from mass compound escapes.

UK Sanctions Against Xinbi Cryptocurrency Marketplace

• ▪Xinbi is described as one of the largest illicit marketplaces in Southeast Asia
• ▪Stephen Doughty is the UK Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories
• ▪The UK government sanctioned Xinbi cryptocurrency marketplace for providing services to scam centers in Southeast Asia

Targeting of Scam Compound Infrastructure and Operators

• ▪#8 Park is believed to be Cambodia's largest scam compound with capacity to accommodate 20,000 trafficked workers
• ▪UK sanctions against the Prince Group triggered closures of hundreds of scam centers
• ▪#8 Park scam compound is linked to the Prince Group
• ▪The UK sanctioned Legend Innovation Co., the operator of #8 Park scam compound in Cambodia
• ▪UK sanctions against the Prince Group triggered asset freezes and seizures worth over £1 billion
• ▪The UK sanctioned Thet Li, described as a key lieutenant of Chen Zhi who managed the Prince Group's international financial network
• ▪The U.S. and UK issued joint sanctions against the Prince Group and its Chairman Chen Zhi in 2024
• ▪The UK sanctioned Eang Soklim, the director of Legend Innovation Co.

Southeast Asian Scam Networks and Global Response

• ▪Southeast Asian scam compound networks often rely on human trafficking and coerced labor
• ▪Operation Atlantic is a joint operation between the U.S. Secret Service, the UK and Canada targeting crypto fraud
• ▪Amnesty International warned in early 2025 that mass escapes from scam compounds in Cambodia had created a humanitarian crisis
• ▪The U.S. Scam Center Strike Force has claimed approximately $580 million in cryptocurrency seizures and freezes
• ▪Taiwan indicted 62 people over laundering $339 million from Cambodian scam compounds
• ▪Interpol elevated Southeast Asian scam compound networks to the level of a global threat in November 2024
• ▪The U.S. launched a cross-agency Scam Center Strike Force in November 2025

Perspective of UK Government

• ▪UK sanctions against Xinbi target the financial infrastructure supporting organized fraud operations in Southeast Asia

Perspective of International Law Enforcement

• ▪Interpol's November 2024 elevation of Southeast Asian scam compound networks reflects law enforcement's assessment of these operations as a top-tier global threat