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Every state-changing event for Hu Xiaowei (Prince Group second-in-command): moderation decisions on community submissions, plus corrections and updates from the news pipeline. URL-based decisions carry three independent witnesses — the original source, an Internet Archive snapshot taken at submission time, and a Solana memo signed by our publicly-disclosed publisher key.

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   2026-06-28 23:04:58Z
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   {"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"68de517f-5b4c-44f5-b9e0-8d9ace985e16","kind":"publish","page_slug":"hu-xiaowei-prince-group-second-in-command","published_at":"2026-06-28T23:04:58.121Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"Hu Xiaowei (Prince Group second-in-command)","sections":[{"content":"On June 23, 2026, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Hu Xiaowei as a Specially Designated National under Executive Order 13581, which targets transnational criminal organizations. The action was part of a broader enforcement wave that designated 9 individuals and 26 entities connected to Cambodia's Prince Group TCO — described by Treasury as the largest single U.S. action ever taken against Southeast Asian cybercriminals. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that 'scam centers in Southeast Asia steal billions of dollars from American victims each year.' This was the second major OFAC enforcement action against the Prince Group network; the first, taken on October 14, 2025 in coordination with the U.K.'s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, designated 146 individuals and entities and simultaneously severed the Huione Group from the U.S. financial system under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act. The June 2026 action expanded the designated network by adding Hu's subordinates and subsidiary corporate structures. A FinCEN proposal to amend its October 2025 Huione Group Final Rule to include H-Pay Service PLC — a successor entity to sanctioned Huione Pay — accompanied the June designations.","heading":"OFAC Designation and Regulatory Status","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Treasury: Treasury Further Dismantles Overseas Scam Operations Targeting Americans (June 23, 2026)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0538"},{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Treasury: U.S. and U.K. Take Largest Action Ever Targeting Cybercriminal Networks in Southeast Asia (October 14, 2025)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0278"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Zyphe: Prince Group Sanctions Widen: 35 New Targets","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.zyphe.com/resources/news/prince-group-sanctions-ofac-fincen-june-2026"}]},{"content":"Hu Xiaowei is a 44-year-old national born in Jiangsu Province, China, in 1982. He holds citizenship from at least four countries. He obtained Cypriot EU citizenship through the country's investment program in 2018 under his birth name. Also in 2018, he acquired a passport from Saint Kitts and Nevis under the name Chen Xiao'er, later changing that document to reflect the name Wu An Ming in 2020. He became a Cambodian citizen in 2020 and was reportedly appointed as an advisor with ministerial rank in 2022. U.S. Treasury designates him under the alias Chen Xiao'er; OCCRP first publicly connected his four identities in December 2025. At the time of his arrest in Japan, he was operating under the Cypriot identity 'Hu Shi' and had filed a fraudulent change-of-address notification with Tokyo's Chuo Ward on April 20, 2026. Japanese authorities identified him through security camera footage at luxury hotels in Osaka before making the arrest on June 14, 2026. Neither Hu nor Prince Group responded to media requests for comment at the time of arrest; Prince Group has described itself publicly as 'a collection of legitimate businesses.'","heading":"Identity and Aliases","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"OCCRP: Multiple Identities Reveal Ties Between Chinese Businessman and Alleged Cambodian Criminal Conglomerate (December 2025)","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OCCRP: Japan Arrests Alleged Associate of Cambodia's Sanctioned Prince Group","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/japan-arrests-alleged-associate-of-cambodias-sanctioned-prince-group"},{"credibility":2,"name":"VnExpress: Alleged executive of Prince Group behind Chen Zhi's scam empire arrested in Japan","type":"news_article","url":"https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/crime/alleged-executive-of-prince-group-behind-chen-zhi-s-scam-empire-arrested-in-japan-5089511.html"}]},{"content":"U.S. Treasury describes Hu Xiaowei as Prince Group TCO's 'second-in-command' and 'big brother' to group leader and chairman Chen Zhi. His alleged operational responsibilities included managing subsidiary entities outside Cambodia, overseeing aircraft transactions, conducting real estate activities, and operating illicit gambling operations. Taiwanese prosecutors have separately labeled him as 'second in command' to Chen Zhi. OCCRP's December 2025 investigation revealed that Hu had been a shareholder since 2015 in Zhongjing Technology Investment Co Ltd. alongside Chen Zhi, predating his public association with Prince Group. He allegedly owned 100% of two Singapore-based companies — Alphaconnect Investment Pte Ltd. and Alphaconect Investment Pte II Ltd. — which held shares in Taiwanese real estate assets that were subsequently transferred to Chen Zhi's control in 2021. Prince Group's operations included at least ten forced-labor scam compounds across Cambodia where trafficked workers were coerced into running 'pig-butchering' cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, with the UN estimating more than 100,000 individuals in trafficked and forced labor conditions across the regional network. Chen Zhi was arrested by Cambodian authorities on January 6, 2026, had his citizenship revoked, and was extradited to China; Hu Xiaowei is alleged to have continued overseeing subsidiary operations following Chen's removal.","heading":"Role in Prince Group TCO","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Treasury: Treasury Further Dismantles Overseas Scam Operations Targeting Americans (June 23, 2026)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0538"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OCCRP: Multiple Identities Reveal Ties Between Chinese Businessman and Alleged Cambodian Criminal Conglomerate","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"},{"credibility":2,"name":"The Diplomat: US Government Imposes Fresh Sanctions Against Alleged Cambodian Scam Network","type":"news_article","url":"https://thediplomat.com/2026/06/us-government-imposes-fresh-sanctions-against-alleged-cambodian-scam-network/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ: Chairman of Prince Group Indicted for Operating Cambodian Forced Labor Scam Compounds","type":"court_filing","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/chairman-prince-group-indicted-operating-cambodian-forced-labor-scam-compounds-engaged"}]},{"content":"OFAC's June 2026 designations identified three British Virgin Islands entities directly controlled by Hu Xiaowei: Eagle Fortitude Limited, Leisure Focus Limited, and Future King Inc. Hu allegedly used Future King Inc. as a holding vehicle to manage a broader network of Hong Kong-based asset management firms, including China Reserve Securities Limited, Future Wing Financial Company Limited, Future Cosmos Limited, Future Cosmos One Limited, Future Cosmos Two Limited, CN Crystal Limited, and CN Breeze Limited. A Singapore entity, Future Oasis Pte. Ltd., was also designated in connection with Hu's network. Treasury specifically identified Future Wing Financial Company Limited as having received 'millions of dollars of funds that have been assessed to have been derived from cryptocurrency investment scam victims.' Three individuals designated alongside Hu were identified as his alleged subordinates: Ho Ho Ming, an officer in multiple Hu-controlled companies; Kong Ka On, who controls Tycoon Yachts (HK) Limited and 11 UK-based companies; and Li Hui, an officer of Future Wing. OCCRP's investigation further identified global real estate holdings attributed to Hu under his various identities, including a Hong Kong coastal villa valued at approximately $15 million and London properties valued at over $44 million registered under the Wu An Ming name. He also allegedly owned companies that leased jets to Cambodia Airways.","heading":"Shell Company Network and Money Laundering Infrastructure","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Treasury: Treasury Further Dismantles Overseas Scam Operations Targeting Americans (June 23, 2026)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0538"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OCCRP: Multiple Identities Reveal Ties Between Chinese Businessman and Alleged Cambodian Criminal Conglomerate","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoTimes: Prince Group Hit With U.S. Sanctions in Crypto Fraud Crackdown","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/06/24/prince-group-hit-with-u-s-sanctions-in-crypto-fraud-crackdown/"}]},{"content":"OCCRP's December 2025 investigation surfaced prior criminal allegations against Hu Xiaowei predating his alleged senior role in Prince Group. Around 2011, he was accused of leading a hacker collective referred to as the 'Knight Attack Group,' which allegedly skimmed approximately $10 million in advertising revenue. In 2016, he reportedly faced arrest in connection with operating an online gambling operation alleged to be worth approximately $850 million. These allegations were reported by OCCRP based on corporate records and investigative sources; no final judicial dispositions from these earlier alleged matters were specified in available public reporting. These prior allegations are classified as medium confidence given their sourcing through investigative journalism without accessible court records.","heading":"Criminal Background Prior to Prince Group Allegations","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"OCCRP: Multiple Identities Reveal Ties Between Chinese Businessman and Alleged Cambodian Criminal Conglomerate","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"}]},{"content":"Japanese authorities arrested Hu Xiaowei in Osaka on June 14, 2026, nine days before OFAC's expanded designations. The charges relate to filing falsified residency documentation: specifically, Tokyo Metropolitan Police suspected Hu of directing the submission of a fraudulent change-of-address notification to Tokyo's Chuo Ward on April 20, 2026, in connection with an application for permanent residency under a 'high skilled professional' visa. He was operating under the Cypriot identity 'Hu Shi' at the time of arrest and was apprehended at a luxury hotel. Two co-arrestees were detained alongside him: Li Yinhong, a 31-year-old Chinese national, and Hao Fengzhi, a 36-year-old Chinese woman. Corporate records showed Hu was the registered representative director of a Tokyo trading company, Tokuten Shoji Ltd., established in 2023, though Japanese authorities stated they could not determine its actual scope of business. His registered address changed multiple times across London, Tokyo, and Osaka locations prior to arrest. Japanese authorities indicated they would continue investigating potential violations of domestic law. In an April 2026 interview with Reuters, Hu denied leading Prince Group.","heading":"Arrest in Japan and Domestic Charges","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"OCCRP: Japan Arrests Alleged Associate of Cambodia's Sanctioned Prince Group","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/japan-arrests-alleged-associate-of-cambodias-sanctioned-prince-group"},{"credibility":2,"name":"VnExpress: Alleged executive of Prince Group behind Chen Zhi's scam empire arrested in Japan","type":"news_article","url":"https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/crime/alleged-executive-of-prince-group-behind-chen-zhi-s-scam-empire-arrested-in-japan-5089511.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"crypto.news: Japan arrests senior Prince Group figure Hu Xiaowei tied to U.S. sanctioned network","type":"news_article","url":"https://crypto.news/japan-arrests-senior-prince-group-figure-hu-xiaowei-tied-to-u-s-sanctioned-network/"}]},{"content":"The Prince Group TCO, headquartered in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is alleged to have operated more than ten forced-labor scam compounds where trafficked workers were coerced into pig-butchering investment fraud schemes. By 2018, the operation allegedly generated over $30 million daily from fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes. The U.S. government estimates that Americans lost at least $10 billion to Southeast Asia-based scam operations in 2024 alone, a 66% increase year-over-year. The DOJ filed a forfeiture action targeting 127,271 Bitcoin, valued at approximately $15 billion, alleged to be linked to Chen Zhi and Prince Group — the largest crypto forfeiture in DOJ history. OCCRP and TRM Labs documented that these Bitcoin wallets remained largely dormant since December 2020 before renewed activity in June-July 2024 triggered enforcement attention. Additional individuals sanctioned in the June 2026 wave included Brendon Luo and Qiu Weiren (major scam compound investors), Dai An (high-level Prince Group TCO leader), Fang Zhizhen (involved in online payment gateways), and Chen Bo (director of six Prince Group entities and majority owner of CCU Commercial Bank Plc). Taiwan and Singapore have also taken complementary enforcement actions against associated entities.","heading":"Broader Prince Group Context and Scale of Harm","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ: Chairman of Prince Group Indicted for Operating Cambodian Forced Labor Scam Compounds","type":"court_filing","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/chairman-prince-group-indicted-operating-cambodian-forced-labor-scam-compounds-engaged"},{"credibility":2,"name":"TRM Labs: Operation Prince — Inside the Global Effort That Led to the Largest Forfeiture in US History","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/operation-prince-inside-the-global-effort-that-led-to-the-largest-forfeiture-in-us-history"},{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Treasury: Treasury Further Dismantles Overseas Scam Operations Targeting Americans (June 23, 2026)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0538"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OCCRP: US Slaps New Round of Sanctions on Cambodia's Prince Group","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/us-slaps-second-package-of-sanctions-on-cambodias-prince-group"}]}],"sources_used":[{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Treasury: Treasury Further Dismantles Overseas Scam Operations Targeting Americans (June 23, 2026)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0538"},{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S. Treasury: U.S. and U.K. Take Largest Action Ever Targeting Cybercriminal Networks in Southeast Asia (October 14, 2025)","type":"regulatory","url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0278"},{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ: Chairman of Prince Group Indicted for Operating Cambodian Forced Labor Scam Compounds Engaged in Cryptocurrency Fraud Schemes","type":"court_filing","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/chairman-prince-group-indicted-operating-cambodian-forced-labor-scam-compounds-engaged"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OCCRP: Multiple Identities Reveal Ties Between Chinese Businessman and Alleged Cambodian Criminal Conglomerate","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OCCRP: Japan Arrests Alleged Associate of Cambodia's Sanctioned Prince Group","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/japan-arrests-alleged-associate-of-cambodias-sanctioned-prince-group"},{"credibility":1,"name":"OCCRP: US Slaps New Round of Sanctions on Cambodia's Prince Group","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/us-slaps-second-package-of-sanctions-on-cambodias-prince-group"},{"credibility":2,"name":"The Diplomat: US Government Imposes Fresh Sanctions Against Alleged Cambodian Scam Network","type":"news_article","url":"https://thediplomat.com/2026/06/us-government-imposes-fresh-sanctions-against-alleged-cambodian-scam-network/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CryptoTimes: Prince Group Hit With U.S. Sanctions in Crypto Fraud Crackdown","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/06/24/prince-group-hit-with-u-s-sanctions-in-crypto-fraud-crackdown/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Zyphe: Prince Group Sanctions Widen: 35 New Targets","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.zyphe.com/resources/news/prince-group-sanctions-ofac-fincen-june-2026"},{"credibility":2,"name":"TRM Labs: Operation Prince — Inside the Global Effort That Led to the Largest Forfeiture in US History","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/operation-prince-inside-the-global-effort-that-led-to-the-largest-forfeiture-in-us-history"},{"credibility":2,"name":"VnExpress: Alleged executive of Prince Group behind Chen Zhi's scam empire arrested in Japan","type":"news_article","url":"https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/crime/alleged-executive-of-prince-group-behind-chen-zhi-s-scam-empire-arrested-in-japan-5089511.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"crypto.news: Japan arrests senior Prince Group figure Hu Xiaowei tied to U.S. sanctioned network","type":"news_article","url":"https://crypto.news/japan-arrests-senior-prince-group-figure-hu-xiaowei-tied-to-u-s-sanctioned-network/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CBS News: Feds seize $15 billion in bitcoin after busting alleged global crypto scam","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bitcoin-seizure-chen-zhi-pam-bondi-cambodia/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"ICIJ: Questions swirl around US plans for record $15B Prince Group crypto seizure","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.icij.org/investigations/coin-laundry/questions-swirl-around-us-plans-for-record-15b-prince-group-crypto-seizure/"}],"summary":"Hu Xiaowei, also known as Chen Xiao'er, Hu Shi, and Wu An Ming, is a 44-year-old Chinese-born individual alleged by U.S. Treasury and Taiwanese prosecutors to be the second-in-command of Cambodia's Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO). He was arrested in Osaka, Japan on June 14, 2026 on charges of filing falsified residency records, and was designated by OFAC on June 23, 2026 as part of the largest U.S. government action ever taken against a Southeast Asian cybercriminal network. He allegedly controlled a network of British Virgin Islands shell companies used to launder proceeds from pig-butchering cryptocurrency fraud schemes that cost American victims at least $10 billion in 2024.","timeline":[{"date":"2011-01-01","event":"Hu Xiaowei allegedly led the 'Knight Attack Group' hacker collective, accused of skimming approximately $10 million in advertising revenue (approximate year; exact date not confirmed in public records).","source":"OCCRP investigative report","source_url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"},{"date":"2015-01-01","event":"Hu Xiaowei becomes a shareholder in Zhongjing Technology Investment Co Ltd. alongside Prince Group founder Chen Zhi, establishing an early documented connection (approximate year).","source":"OCCRP investigative report","source_url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"},{"date":"2016-01-01","event":"Hu Xiaowei allegedly faces arrest in connection with operating an online gambling operation worth approximately $850 million (approximate year).","source":"OCCRP investigative report","source_url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"},{"date":"2018-01-01","event":"Hu Xiaowei obtains Cypriot EU citizenship through investment program. Separately acquires a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport under the name Chen Xiao'er.","source":"OCCRP investigative report","source_url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"},{"date":"2020-01-01","event":"Hu Xiaowei changes his Saint Kitts and Nevis passport name to Wu An Ming and acquires Cambodian citizenship.","source":"OCCRP investigative report","source_url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"},{"date":"2021-01-01","event":"Singapore companies Alphaconnect Investment Pte Ltd. and Alphaconect Investment Pte II Ltd., fully owned by Hu, transfer Taiwanese real estate assets to Chen Zhi's control (approximate year).","source":"OCCRP investigative report","source_url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"},{"date":"2022-01-01","event":"Hu Xiaowei is reportedly appointed as a Cambodian government advisor with ministerial rank equivalent (approximate year).","source":"OCCRP investigative report","source_url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"},{"date":"2023-01-01","event":"Hu Xiaowei registers Tokuten Shoji Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan, serving as representative director (approximate year; exact date unconfirmed).","source":"OCCRP reporting","source_url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/japan-arrests-alleged-associate-of-cambodias-sanctioned-prince-group"},{"date":"2025-10-14","event":"OFAC and FinCEN, in coordination with the U.K. FCDO, take action against the Prince Group TCO, designating 146 individuals and entities and severing Huione Group from the U.S. financial system. Chen Zhi is indicted by DOJ for wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies.","source":"U.S. Treasury press release sb0278","source_url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0278"},{"date":"2025-12-01","event":"OCCRP publishes investigation connecting Hu Xiaowei's four known identities (Hu Xiaowei, Hu Shi, Chen Xiao'er, Wu An Ming) and documenting his global asset portfolio and ties to Prince Group.","source":"OCCRP investigative report","source_url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/multiple-identities-reveal-ties-between-chinese-businessman-and-cambodian-criminal-conglomerate"},{"date":"2026-01-06","event":"Cambodian authorities arrest Prince Group chairman Chen Zhi, revoke his citizenship, and extradite him to China.","source":"The Diplomat / multiple sources","source_url":"https://thediplomat.com/2026/06/us-government-imposes-fresh-sanctions-against-alleged-cambodian-scam-network/"},{"date":"2026-04-20","event":"A fraudulent change-of-address notification is allegedly filed with Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Hu Xiaowei's behalf as part of his bid for Japanese permanent residency.","source":"OCCRP / VnExpress reporting","source_url":"https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/crime/alleged-executive-of-prince-group-behind-chen-zhi-s-scam-empire-arrested-in-japan-5089511.html"},{"date":"2026-06-14","event":"Japanese authorities arrest Hu Xiaowei in Osaka on suspicion of filing falsified residency documentation. Co-arrestees Li Yinhong and Hao Fengzhi are detained simultaneously.","source":"OCCRP","source_url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/japan-arrests-alleged-associate-of-cambodias-sanctioned-prince-group"},{"date":"2026-06-23","event":"OFAC designates Hu Xiaowei and 8 other individuals plus 26 entities under Executive Order 13581 in the second major action against Prince Group TCO. FinCEN proposes adding H-Pay Service PLC to its Huione Group special measure.","source":"U.S. Treasury press release sb0538","source_url":"https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0538"}]},"v":1}

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