00:00Nine companies registered in Taiwan, most of them listing the building behind me here as their address, have been hit by U.S. sanctions.
00:07Washington says that they're linked to a Cambodia-based scam network that's been labeled as a transnational criminal organization.
00:14All but one of the companies are linked to the same person, and they're described as either investment or property services.
00:21Three Taiwanese individuals are also on the U.S. sanctions list.
00:24The U.S. Treasury says these companies are linked to the China-born head of Prince Holding Group, Chen Zhi, or his associates.
00:32It says the group manages scam centers that traffic people and force them to conduct cyber fraud, targeting victims around the world and laundering billions of dollars.
00:41Now, both the U.S. and the U.K. have slapped sanctions on that network, and what is the biggest action yet against cybercrime rings in Southeast Asia?
00:49But the U.S. is listing Taiwan as being home to some of the group's offshore hubs and shell companies.
00:55And Taiwanese law enforcement authorities say they are investigating whether Taiwanese citizens were involved in money laundering or other illegal activities.
01:03The National Police Agency here told Taiwan Plus it's asked the FBI to share information needed for their investigation.
01:09But these are not the only connections the network appears to have to Taiwan.
01:13Some local media are reporting its leader, Chen Zhi, once lived in Taiwan and entered the country at least 10 times.
01:20But Taiwan's immigration agency could not confirm this.
01:23When asked for information on the crackdown, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which manages relations with China, said this.
01:29Yet it's still unclear whether these people are related to the network.
01:55Cybercrime in Southeast Asia has become a major issue, affecting people from all walks of life across the world.
02:02And as more countries crack down on these scam networks, Taiwan's also trying to close any loopholes that could allow criminals to exploit others.
02:10Scott Huang and Cadence Caranta for Taiwan Plus.
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