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Cambodia has arrested Li Xiong, chairman of blacklisted payments firm Huione Pay, and extradited him to China, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday, in a joint crackdown on online scams following a request from Beijing.
China’s Ministry of Public Security said Li is suspected of multiple crimes, including running illegal casinos, fraud and concealing criminal proceeds.
Chinese state media footage showed Li arriving in China under police escort, in scenes similar to the January extradition of alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi, founder of Cambodian conglomerate Prince Group. The media report described Li as “a core member of Chen’s criminal gang.”
The operation comes as the Cambodian government has vowed to eliminate scam networks in the country by the end of this month.
The Interior Ministry said the operation had been months in the making.
The United States blacklisted Huione and related firms last year, saying they laundered billions of dollars in proceeds from scam centers in Cambodia and tens of millions for North Korean hackers. South Korea later imposed similar sanctions.
Cambodia’s central bank said it revoked Huione Pay’s license in late 2024. The firm, which listed Hun To, a cousin of Prime Minister Hun Manet, as a director, is now recorded as dissolved by the Commerce Ministry. It later reportedly rebranded as H-Pay under new directors and faced a nationwide run on deposits after suspending withdrawals. The company has denied involvement in criminal activity.
Li, a Chinese national naturalized in Cambodia in 2018, also had his citizenship revoked, the Interior Ministry said.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak did not immediately respond to a request for comment.In January, when CamboJA News asked Sokhak about social media reports of Li’s arrest, he declined to comment, saying only that officers seen in circulating images appeared to be military police.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak said the alleged crimes took place between 2015 and 2025, claiming that most occurred in China.
Sokhak said Li was arrested at a rented home in Phnom Penh between March 27 and 28 and that all further legal proceedings would be handled in China.
In January, when CamboJA News asked Sokhak about social media reports alleging Li had been arrested at the time, he declined to comment, saying only that officers seen in circulating images appeared to be military police.
This article was updated with comments from Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak at 5:30 pm.
