UK Intensifies Crackdown on Scam Centres with New Sanctions on Illicit Cryptocurrency Network
London, 26 March 2026 — The United Kingdom has announced a significant escalation in its campaign against illegal scam operations based in Southeast Asia, targeting their financial networks through fresh sanctions on a major illicit cryptocurrency marketplace. This move aims to dismantle a sophisticated network of ‘scam centres’ that have defrauded victims internationally, including British nationals, while also addressing the grave human rights abuses tied to these criminal enterprises.
Targeting Scam Centres Exploiting Vulnerable Victims
Southeast Asia has become a hub for large-scale online fraud coordinated from so-called ‘scam centres’, where trafficked foreign nationals are coerced into committing fraud under duress. The UK government highlighted that many individuals are deceived with promises of legitimate employment, only to find themselves trapped in compounds where they are compelled to operate scams—including fake romantic schemes—threatened with torture if they refuse.
Last year’s coordinated UK and US sanctions against the Prince Group and its Chairman, Chen Zhi, led to asset freezes worth over £1 billion and precipitated global law enforcement actions resulting in arrests and closures of hundreds of scam operations.
New Sanctions Focus on Cryptocurrency Marketplace Facilitating Fraud
Building on this progress, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) announced today sanctions targeting the operators of ‘#8 Park’, Cambodia’s largest known scam compound, capable of housing up to 20,000 trafficked workers. The operator, Legend Innovation Co., and its director, Eang Soklim, have been designated under these measures.
Crucially, the UK is the first country to sanction Xinbi, a Chinese-language cryptocurrency-based online marketplace that provides illicit services to scam centres across Southeast Asia, including #8 Park. Xinbi facilitates the sale of stolen personal data used to identify and target scam victims and supplies satellite internet equipment vital for contacting targets. This platform has also aided the laundering of stolen crypto assets linked to North Korea.
UK sanctions aim to isolate Xinbi from the legitimate cryptocurrency ecosystem, severing its ability to send and receive transactions and thereby crippling its operations. The success of previous sanctions was demonstrated last year when BYEX, another crypto platform implicated in laundering scam proceeds, was forced to shut down following UK action.
Officials Highlight Commitment to Combat Fraud and Human Rights Abuses
Stephen Doughty MP, Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, emphasized, “Our sanctions today send a clear message: We will not allow British people to become victims of these dreadful scams or tolerate the awful human rights abuses perpetrated in these scam centres.”
He further noted the upcoming Illicit Finance Summit in June, which the UK will host, as an opportunity to galvanize international cooperation against illicit financial flows and money laundering worldwide.
Lord Hanson, Fraud Minister, added, “Fraud is a global crime run by organised networks operating across borders and targeting victims at scale. That is why we are acting both at home and abroad.” He also pointed to the UK’s newly launched Online Crime Centre, which unites police, intelligence agencies, and the private sector to combat online fraud more effectively.
Broader Impact and Regional Cooperation
Following UK sanctions and international pressure, the Cambodian government has undertaken its largest crackdown on the scam economy, raiding approximately 2,500 suspected sites, shutting down hundreds of scam centres, and freeing tens of thousands of trafficked foreign nationals.
Additional individuals and entities sanctioned in this round include:
- Thet Li, a key financial manager within the Prince Group’s international network.
- Hu Xiaowei, involved in the Prince Group’s financial operations under multiple aliases.
- Wang Xiaoyan, linked through family ties to scam centre leadership.
- Sister companies of BYEX, including BSquare Technology and Tian Xu International Technology.
- Pang Weizhi, a businessman connected to Prince Group operations.
- Wan Kuok Koi, a former triad leader implicated in Myanmar’s scam centres.
UK authorities have also frozen several properties in London linked to these criminal operations, supplementing previously frozen high-value assets such as a £100 million City office block, luxury mansions, and a helicopter.
Moving Forward
Today’s sanctions complement ongoing efforts by Cambodia and other nations to dismantle these exploitative networks. At the upcoming Illicit Finance Summit in June, the UK Foreign Secretary will spearhead initiatives to increase global commitment to cutting off channels that facilitate money laundering and the movement of illicit funds, particularly through property and cryptocurrency assets.
For further information or media inquiries, contact the FCDO Newsdesk at [email protected] or call 020 7008 3100. —
Related topics: Online safety, Cyber security, Crime and justice, Cambodia, Cryptocurrency crime, Human trafficking
Source: UK Government Press Release, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (26 March 2026)
Read the full statement on GOV.UK