Japan Arrests Senior Prince Group Figure As Global Authorities Intensify Crackdown On Crypto Fraud Networks

by
Alisa Davidson

Printed: June 22, 2026 at 7:07 am Up to date: June 22, 2026 at 7:07 am

by Anastasiia O

Edited and fact-checked:
June 22, 2026 at 7:07 am

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Japanese authorities have arrested a senior determine linked to the Cambodia-based Prince Group, a global community that U.S. officers have accused of working large-scale on-line funding fraud schemes concentrating on victims throughout a number of nations.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police detained Hu Xiaowei, often known as Hu Shi, a 44-year-old Cypriot nationwide, on allegations of submitting false residency registration paperwork in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward in April 2026. Whereas the preliminary cost is expounded to an administrative violation, Japanese authorities reportedly used the case as a foundation to safe his detention whereas investigating his alleged position throughout the group. Police sources indicated that Hu was thought-about a senior member of the group and was recognized after investigators tracked his actions by way of surveillance footage from luxurious motels in Osaka earlier than his arrest.

Worldwide Crackdown Targets Prince Group’s Crypto Fraud Community

The Prince Group has been recognized by U.S. authorities as a significant group concerned in world on-line funding scams, together with so-called “pig-butchering” schemes. These operations usually contain constructing relationships with victims earlier than directing them towards fraudulent cryptocurrency funding platforms designed to steal funds.

In October 2025, the U.S. Treasury Division and Division of Justice introduced sanctions in opposition to 146 people and entities related to the Prince Group, with Hu reportedly included underneath the alias “Chen Xiaoe.” Authorities have alleged that the community operated from Cambodia by way of large-scale name middle services, the place trafficked employees have been compelled to conduct fraudulent actions concentrating on worldwide victims.

The group’s chairman had beforehand been detained by Cambodian authorities and later extradited to China, whereas Hu’s location remained unknown till Japanese investigators situated him. Experiences point out that Hu had established a enterprise presence in Japan, together with a Tokyo-based buying and selling firm based in 2023. Company information present the corporate’s registered capital elevated considerably by March 2026, with listed addresses linked to London, Tokyo’s Minami-Aoyama district, Osaka Prefecture, and finally Chuo Ward, the place the disputed residency registration was filed.

Two Chinese language nationals who allegedly assisted with submitting the false registration paperwork have been additionally reportedly arrested.

The detention represents an extra step in worldwide efforts to disrupt crypto-related fraud networks working throughout borders. Following monetary restrictions imposed by U.S. authorities in opposition to entities linked to Prince Group, Japan’s investigation right into a suspected senior determine highlights growing cooperation between jurisdictions concentrating on people accused of supporting large-scale cryptocurrency rip-off operations.

Alisa, a devoted journalist on the MPost, makes a speciality of crypto, AI, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a eager eye for rising tendencies and applied sciences, she delivers complete protection to tell and interact readers within the ever-evolving panorama of digital finance.

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