https://www.scmp.com/rss/325956/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Laura Zhou Laura Zhou The compound is modern with air conditioning in every room. Inside are a medical clinic, massage parlour, and Vietnamese barbecue, Chinese hotpot and halal eateries – a full range of conveniences. Yet the residents are gone – and they appear to have fled in haste. Clothes still hang out to dry, while the stench of rotting food lingers. Located in a secluded area in Kampot province near Cambodia’s border with Vietnam, the site is believed to be a telecoms scam centre. Cambodian authorities said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348930/game-whack-mole-how-could-scam-industry-bring-china-and-us-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348930/game-whack-mole-how-could-scam-industry-bring-china-and-us-together?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Scottish crime boss is to be deported to Spain on Wednesday after he was arrested on the Indonesian resort island of Bali in connection with large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering, authorities said. The 45-year-old, identified as Steven Lyons, was taken into custody by immigration officers at Ngurah Rai International Airport on Saturday on arrival from Singapore, Untung Widiyatmoko, head of Indonesia’s branch of Interpol, said on Tuesday. The immigration system had flagged him as... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348595/scottish-man-linked-gang-arrested-indonesias-bali-after-interpol-issues-red-alert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348595/scottish-man-linked-gang-arrested-indonesias-bali-after-interpol-issues-red-alert?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 01:08:04 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A Hong Kong court has remanded in custody another 10 people in connection with the HK$1.6 billion (US$205.8 million) in JPEX cryptocurrency scandal, bringing the number prosecuted in the city’s largest alleged financial fraud in recent years to 26. The latest development came nearly three years after the scandal broke out in 2023, when police revealed that more than 2,700 people had fallen victim to the alleged scam involving losses of more than HK$1.6 billion. Twenty-three counts of money... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348180/10-defendants-remanded-custody-jpex-cryptocurrency-fraud-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348180/10-defendants-remanded-custody-jpex-cryptocurrency-fraud-case?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:18:26 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong police have charged another 10 people in connection with the HK$1.6 billion (US$205.8 million) JPEX cryptocurrency scandal – the city’s largest alleged financial fraud in recent years. Four men and six women were charged on Thursday after investigations identified abnormal transactions in suspicious accounts linked to the case, police said. The suspects, aged between 26 and 47, will appear in Eastern Court on Friday charged with money laundering and conspiracy to launder money. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348049/police-charge-another-10-people-over-hk16-billion-jpex-cryptocurrency-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348049/police-charge-another-10-people-over-hk16-billion-jpex-cryptocurrency-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:21:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters An Indonesian court has jailed nine people in a major corruption case involving subsidiaries of state energy firm Pertamina, including two former chief executives of its units, which prosecutors say caused US$17 billion in state losses. The case, which centres on alleged illegal leasing of a fuel terminal and illegal imports of crude oil, among other offences, is one of the biggest launched under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto, who has vowed to eradicate corruption. The nine... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344808/pertamina-corruption-trial-9-jailed-indonesia-over-us17-billion-state-loss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344808/pertamina-corruption-trial-9-jailed-indonesia-over-us17-billion-state-loss?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 03:23:18 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong’s surveillance cameras are expected to incorporate facial recognition technology as early as this year, pending the resolution of legal and technical issues, according to the city’s police chief. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming also said on Sunday that the force would prioritise linking closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in high-traffic and strategically located shopping centres into the force’s SmartView system, noting that operators had “responded positively” to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3343616/hong-kong-aims-add-facial-recognition-public-cctv-year-police-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3343616/hong-kong-aims-add-facial-recognition-public-cctv-year-police-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 07:01:50 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Criminals in Southeast Asia are harnessing inexpensive AI tools to target bigger pools of potential victims at high speed, keeping scam centres humming even as governments try to crack down, senior officials at Interpol say. Previously, some scams were easy to spot – from poor quality online ads luring people to work in such centres to the scams themselves, typically designed to make people part with their money through the promise of romance or investment returns. Now, scammers are using large... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343016/southeast-asias-scam-hubs-are-adept-conning-now-ai-making-it-easier-faster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343016/southeast-asias-scam-hubs-are-adept-conning-now-ai-making-it-easier-faster?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:22:57 +0000 Pheaktra Neth Pheaktra Neth Transnational online crime is one of the most serious security challenges facing the global community. It drives human trafficking and forced labour, enables large-scale fraud, destabilises economies and erodes public trust in digital financial systems. No country is immune, and no country can confront this threat alone. In Cambodia, we are confronting this challenge directly. Prime Minister Hun Manet has made cyber-enabled crime, including online scams, trafficking and digital fraud, a national... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3342670/cambodia-frontline-battle-against-transnational-scam-syndicates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3342670/cambodia-frontline-battle-against-transnational-scam-syndicates?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Thai police have helped Hong Kong authorities in arresting two fugitives, including a murder suspect who had been on the run for more than three decades, the city’s police chief has said. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming said on Thursday that the two local suspects were wanted in separate cases – a murder 37 years ago and a robbery. “We had intelligence suggesting [the murder suspect] was hiding in Thailand, our colleagues handed over information to Thai police for follow-up action,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3342518/murder-suspect-captured-thailand-set-be-handed-back-hong-kong-authorities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3342518/murder-suspect-captured-thailand-set-be-handed-back-hong-kong-authorities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:25:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Interpol issued a red notice for the arrest of one of Indonesia’s biggest oil tycoons over a US$285 million corruption scandal, police said late on Sunday. Mohammad Riza Chalid, 66, nicknamed the “gasoline godfather”, is wanted in Indonesia for his alleged involvement in corruption at state-owned oil company Pertamina between 2018 and 2023, including for money laundering and manipulating a lease agreement. Untung Widyatmoko, secretary of Interpol’s Indonesia National Central Bureau, said a red... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342062/interpol-issues-red-notice-indonesian-oil-tycoon-us285-million-corruption-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342062/interpol-issues-red-notice-indonesian-oil-tycoon-us285-million-corruption-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 06:12:52 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Despite intensifying geopolitical tensions and shifting diplomacy, no place can stay isolated as organised crime continues to transcend borders in new ways. The need for concerted global cooperation to fight it has grown as technology enables increasingly sophisticated and complex plots that make enforcement difficult. In this regard, Hong Kong has rightly stepped forward to host Interpol’s top annual meeting in November for the first time. The 94th general assembly will draw attendees from 196... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3339153/interpol-event-will-enable-hong-kong-bolster-global-crime-fighting-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3339153/interpol-event-will-enable-hong-kong-bolster-global-crime-fighting-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 22:45:07 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s police chief has pledged to ramp up collaboration with Asean countries to fortify the force’s role as a “superconnector” in law enforcement, as the city gears up to host Interpol’s top annual meeting in November for the first time. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming, who worked at Interpol’s Lyon headquarters as a criminal intelligence officer between 2012 and 2013, said the high international standing of the force could help foster ties. “Hong Kong’s position hasn’t changed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3338667/police-deepen-asean-ties-hong-kong-set-host-first-top-interpol-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3338667/police-deepen-asean-ties-hong-kong-set-host-first-top-interpol-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:30:29 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippine government is weighing whether a United Nations anti-corruption treaty can help track down and extradite a former lawmaker accused of being one of the masterminds behind the billion-peso flood control scandal and believed to be hiding overseas. Presidential press officer and undersecretary Claire Castro said Manila was studying a proposal by Senator Panfilo Lacson to tap the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) to help locate and extradite former congressman Zaldy Co. Co, who... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336671/philippines-weighs-using-un-anti-corruption-treaty-zaldy-cos-extradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336671/philippines-weighs-using-un-anti-corruption-treaty-zaldy-cos-extradition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:04:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The owners of an Indian nightclub in the tourist hotspot of Goa fled the country hours after a deadly fire at their business killed 25 people at the weekend, police have said. Most of the victims of the tragedy that struck a club in Arpora in the north of the coastal state were staff members, including four Nepali citizens. The blaze was likely triggered by “electrical firecrackers”, officials said, with most people dying due to suffocation in the basement and kitchen area after wooden parts of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3335730/owners-flee-thailand-after-indian-nightclub-fire-goa-killed-25?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3335730/owners-flee-thailand-after-indian-nightclub-fire-goa-killed-25?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 07:33:19 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung More than 600 officers from the Hong Kong police force’s Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU) searched two fire-ravaged blocks of the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po without finding any more bodies on Saturday. The death toll from the blaze remains at 128, but 150 people are still unaccounted for. Dressed in white full-body protective gear, the DVIU officers went through Wang Yan House and Wang Tao House and collected evidence to confirm the identities of victims. No bodies... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334645/hong-kong-fire-disaster-brings-victim-id-units-grim-task-back-focus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3334645/hong-kong-fire-disaster-brings-victim-id-units-grim-task-back-focus?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 17:30:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Immigration authorities in Colombia have taken 17 children into protective custody after they were rescued from an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect whose members have been accused of sexually abusing and kidnapping minors in several countries. Gloria Esperanza Arriero, the director of Colombia’s national immigration service, said on Monday that her agency questioned nine members of the Lev Tahor sect during a hotel inspection on Sunday. “We will likely deport them,” Arriero said, “because there are no... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3334005/colombia-raids-hotel-hosting-ultra-orthodox-jewish-sect-members-rescues-17-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3334005/colombia-raids-hotel-hosting-ultra-orthodox-jewish-sect-members-rescues-17-children?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 19:10:29 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippine government is facing mounting legal and political uncertainty after reports emerged that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may have issued an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa – the former national police chief widely seen as the main enforcer of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s violent war on drugs. Dela Rosa, a long-time Duterte ally and now a sitting senator, oversaw the Philippine National Police during the early years of Duterte’s presidency, when... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3332521/were-rumours-philippines-icc-warrant-duterte-ally-dela-rosa-calculated-leak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3332521/were-rumours-philippines-icc-warrant-duterte-ally-dela-rosa-calculated-leak?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 02:00:25 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg British police have seized more than £12 million (US$15.6 million) of dinosaur skeletons after agreeing to a settlement with a Chinese national suspected of being part of a huge money-laundering scandal. Su Binghai agreed to forfeit three complete fossilised skeletons, along with nine London apartments, bought for around £15 million, but he will be able to keep 25 per cent of all the sale proceeds, a lawyer for the National Crime Agency said at a court hearing on Tuesday. Su was previously... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3331692/uk-seizes-us15-million-dinosaur-bones-money-laundering-suspect-su-binghai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3331692/uk-seizes-us15-million-dinosaur-bones-money-laundering-suspect-su-binghai?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:47:45 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong police have charged 16 individuals, including influencer Joseph Lam Chok, with fraudulently or recklessly inducing others to invest in virtual assets, conspiracy to defraud and money laundering in the HK$1.6 billion (US$205.8 million) JPEX cryptocurrency scandal – the city’s largest alleged financial fraud to date. Chief Superintendent Ernest Wong Chun-yue of the commercial crime bureau said on Wednesday that Interpol was hunting for two masterminds and a core member of JPEX. That... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3331631/hong-kong-police-charge-joseph-lam-15-others-over-hk16-billion-jpex-crypto-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3331631/hong-kong-police-charge-joseph-lam-15-others-over-hk16-billion-jpex-crypto-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 09:27:26 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A former Philippine lawmaker accused of masterminding a vast public works corruption scheme allegedly tried to move part of his fortune out of reach of investigators by flying his private aircraft abroad. A Gulfstream jet and two helicopters linked to disgraced congressman Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co were sent to Singapore and Malaysia in recent months, just as authorities were preparing to freeze billions of pesos in suspected ill-gotten assets. Philippine aviation regulators say the aircraft cannot... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3331070/philippines-blocks-resale-ex-lawmakers-aircraft-after-jets-traced-singapore-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3331070/philippines-blocks-resale-ex-lawmakers-aircraft-after-jets-traced-singapore-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:11:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An American who faked his own death and fled to Scotland to evade justice was sentenced Monday to five-years-to-life in prison for raping his ex-girlfriend 17 years ago. Nicholas Rossi, 38, who potentially could spend the rest of his days behind bars, went to great lengths to conceal his identity and flee after committing the rape in the western state of Utah in 2008, authorities said. State Judge Barry Lawrence pointed to this as an “aggravating factor” as he handed down the sentence in a Salt... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329724/us-man-arrested-scotland-and-convicted-utah-rape-faces-life-prison?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3329724/us-man-arrested-scotland-and-convicted-utah-rape-faces-life-prison?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 23:17:41 +0000 Alan Robles Alan Robles As the Philippines’ coastguard struggles to patrol vast, contested waters with a handful of ageing planes and helicopters, a single politician’s larger private fleet has become a lightning rod for public anger over corruption and the chronic underfunding of the country’s defence forces. At the heart of the scandal is Zaldy Co, who until January chaired the powerful House Appropriations Committee – a position that granted him sweeping powers over the national budget. The discovery of six... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3327475/philippine-coastguard-finds-itself-outmatched-politicians-private-air-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3327475/philippine-coastguard-finds-itself-outmatched-politicians-private-air-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 05:16:45 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United Nations’ heritage body on Monday announced the launch of a virtual museum showcasing hundreds of looted artefacts in a bid to draw attention to the trafficking of cultural property. A Zambian ritual mask, a pendant from the ancient Syrian site of Palmyra and a painting by Swedish artist Anders Zorn are among nearly 250 stolen objects displayed on Unesco’s new interactive platform. But that is only a fraction of the roughly 57,000 items Interpol estimates are in circulation, part of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327296/un-heritage-body-opens-virtual-museum-spotlight-artefact-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327296/un-heritage-body-opens-virtual-museum-spotlight-artefact-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 20:40:29 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China has showcased and marketed a range of new public security equipment, including AI-assisted facial recognition surveillance devices, in an exhibition for police forces in developing countries. The equipment was displayed at the three-day Global Public Security Cooperation Forum, which runs in the coastal city of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, until Thursday. According to state broadcaster CCTV, the exhibition’s theme is “Security Sharing, Development Integration”. “Through this showcase,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3325892/china-showcases-ai-enhanced-bodycams-developing-nations-police-expo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3325892/china-showcases-ai-enhanced-bodycams-developing-nations-police-expo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:00:09 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A woman accused of killing her two young children and hiding their bodies in suitcases stood trial in New Zealand on Monday, in a case that has transfixed the country since the remains were discovered in 2022. Lee Hak-yung, 44, appeared at the Auckland High Court. A Korean-born New Zealander, she is accused of killing her children – six-year-old Minu Jo and eight-year-old Yuna Jo – in 2018, shortly after the death of her husband from cancer. The children’s remains lay undiscovered for years... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3324747/korean-mother-whose-children-were-found-dead-suitcases-stands-trial-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3324747/korean-mother-whose-children-were-found-dead-suitcases-stands-trial-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 09:00:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A man accused of faking his death and fleeing to the United Kingdom to avoid rape charges faced an alleged victim in court on Monday as a jury trial in Utah began. The man known in the US as Nicholas Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Utah in 2008. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prosecutors are trying the cases separately, with the first set in Salt Lake County. Rossi, 38, was arrested in Scotland in 2021 - a year after he... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3321508/trial-begins-us-fugitive-accused-faking-his-death-uk-avoid-rape-charges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3321508/trial-begins-us-fugitive-accused-faking-his-death-uk-avoid-rape-charges?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 23:35:27 +0000 Deborah Lehr Deborah Lehr China is making its cultural heritage protection a national priority – and a pillar of its global identity. As one of the world’s fastest-growing art markets, China has taken steps in recent years to better safeguard its cultural heritage, both at home and abroad. From restoring ancient sites to recovering looted antiquities and building museums at a rapid rate, these efforts reflect more than a conservation push. They signal that the world’s most populous nation views the protection of its... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3320042/chinas-safeguarding-cultural-heritage-signals-its-global-ambition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3320042/chinas-safeguarding-cultural-heritage-signals-its-global-ambition?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Interpol’s decision to drop a decade-old red notice against Paul Watson, the outspoken founder of marine conservation group Sea Shepherd, has sparked outrage in Japan, with critics accusing the international police agency of bowing to Western bias and undermining justice for alleged attacks on Japanese whalers. Interpol announced on Tuesday that it had removed the red notice – a non-binding request for the arrest and extradition of a wanted individual – after a review by its independent... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3319314/japan-sees-red-interpol-drops-arrest-request-whale-activist-paul-watson?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3319314/japan-sees-red-interpol-drops-arrest-request-whale-activist-paul-watson?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 01:30:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Interpol said on Tuesday it was removing a most-wanted designation for anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson, who was sought by Japan over an encounter with a whaling ship and who was jailed for several months last year in Greenland. Watson, 74, is a former head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, whose high seas confrontations with whaling vessels have drawn support from celebrities and featured in the reality television series Whale Wars. Japan wants his extradition over an encounter with... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3319209/interpol-takes-anti-whaling-campaigner-paul-watson-its-most-wanted-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3319209/interpol-takes-anti-whaling-campaigner-paul-watson-its-most-wanted-list?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 22:59:17 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Jakarta’s ambassador to Singapore has expressed scepticism about the existence of an Indonesian baby trafficking syndicate following the arrest of 12 people for smuggling infants to the city state by West Java police. Suryopratomo claimed he had not received any reports about the alleged trafficking ring when contacted by Tempo news magazine on Tuesday. “I don’t know,” he said in a brief text message. “What is the evidence of baby sales to Singapore? I cannot comment on something unclear.” He... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3318409/14-indonesian-babies-trafficked-singapore-jakartas-envoy-has-his-doubts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3318409/14-indonesian-babies-trafficked-singapore-jakartas-envoy-has-his-doubts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2025 07:09:26 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysian police believe a man gunned down in his Ipoh home last week was the victim of an international organised crime syndicate, marking the latest in a string of unresolved gang-related assassinations in public places that left five people dead and shocked the country last month. Gun violence is rare in Malaysia, where unlicensed gun ownership and even brandishing a firearm as intimidation are capital crimes. But a series of shootings over 12 days in June has sparked public fear – as three... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3316911/malaysian-police-link-ipoh-murder-international-gang-amid-surge-public-shootings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3316911/malaysian-police-link-ipoh-murder-international-gang-amid-surge-public-shootings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 04:29:59 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A man wanted by Interpol pleaded guilty on Monday to stealing US$260,000 in diamonds from Tiffany & Co and Cartier last year through a series of “sleight-of-hand” tricks. Yaorong Wan, 50, admitted switching a diamond ring worth US$225,000 for a fake one and then walking out of Tiffany’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York in March 2024. About a week later, he pocketed a US$24,000 ring at the Cartier shop in Hudson Yards, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Wan, who was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3315556/jewel-thief-stole-us260000-diamonds-new-yorks-tiffany-cartier-shops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3315556/jewel-thief-stole-us260000-diamonds-new-yorks-tiffany-cartier-shops?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jun 2025 21:39:59 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysian police have arrested the husband of Pamela Ling, the woman who was abducted in broad daylight by people in police uniform last month while on her way to give evidence to the country’s anti-corruption body. Thomas Hah Tiing Siu, 54, and his wife – both Malaysians – have been under a year-long corruption and money laundering inquiry by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC). Hah, a prominent Sarawakian businessman, has been involved in a controversial land deal in neighbouring... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3310460/husband-missing-malaysian-corruption-probe-witness-pamela-ling-arrested?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3310460/husband-missing-malaysian-corruption-probe-witness-pamela-ling-arrested?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 May 2025 08:07:40 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi The disappearance of Malaysian mother-of-three Pamela Ling, who was abducted last month while on her way to assist in a corruption investigation, marks a troubling failure by the state to safeguard women, a rights group has said, as police widen their search to include interviews with her children in Singapore. Ling was abducted on April 9 from a private-hire car by individuals dressed as police officers while en route to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters. She was... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3310191/malaysian-witness-kidnapping-shows-profound-breakdown-protecting-women-activist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3310191/malaysian-witness-kidnapping-shows-profound-breakdown-protecting-women-activist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 May 2025 10:36:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A UK court Monday handed down jail terms of up to 10 years to six Bulgarians convicted for belonging to a Russian espionage cell described as like something from a “spy novel”. Fake passports, hidden cameras, a spy love triangle and secret online chats about potential abductions and honeytraps were uncovered by investigators. Orlin Roussev, 47, headed the operation from a run-down former guest house in the eastern English seaside resort of Great Yarmouth where police found a “treasure trove” of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3310070/fake-passports-hidden-cameras-6-bulgarians-who-led-russian-spy-ring-are-jailed-uk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3310070/fake-passports-hidden-cameras-6-bulgarians-who-led-russian-spy-ring-are-jailed-uk?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 May 2025 19:21:51 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Three Chinese men have been arrested in Japan after several thousand protected land hermit crabs were found in their suitcases as police investigate whether the suspects intended to sell or keep the “natural monuments” as pets. The alleged smuggling came to light when staff from a hotel where the visitors stayed in the southwestern city of Amami alerted environmental officials. The guests “had asked the hotel to watch their suitcases, and the suitcases made a rustling noise” on Tuesday, police... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3309679/3-chinese-men-arrested-japan-after-160kg-hermit-crabs-found-suitcases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3309679/3-chinese-men-arrested-japan-after-160kg-hermit-crabs-found-suitcases?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 May 2025 05:08:01 +0000 On March 11, when former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte arrived at Manila airport on a flight from Hong Kong, he was arrested by prosecutors. They acted on an Interpol arrest warrant issued at the behest of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. It alleges Duterte committed “crimes against humanity” during his “war on drugs” when he was Davao City mayor and then president. The ICC, which prosecutes global crimes, became operational under the Rome Statute in 2002. The Philippines... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3303216/handing-duterte-icc-marcos-stirs-philippine-hornets-nest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3303216/handing-duterte-icc-marcos-stirs-philippine-hornets-nest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Mar 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested at Manila’s international airport at the request of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a shocking turn of events that analysts have said marks the “beginning of the end” of his political dynasty. While Duterte loyalists condemned Tuesday’s arrest as illegal and vowed mass protests, observers said President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s willingness to cooperate with the ICC’s arrest warrant was a political master stroke, effectively... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3301870/ex-president-rodrigo-duterte-arrested-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3301870/ex-president-rodrigo-duterte-arrested-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Mar 2025 03:25:26 +0000 Comments by former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte have ignited speculation he is preparing to face an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), a development analysts have said could weaken his family’s political dynasty ahead of the country’s coming midterm elections. Speaking at a rally in Hong Kong on Sunday, Duterte said he was prepared for arrest, amid unconfirmed reports the ICC was planning to issue a warrant against him for crimes against humanity linked to his... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3301839/how-philippines-duterte-responds-potential-icc-arrest-could-shape-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3301839/how-philippines-duterte-responds-potential-icc-arrest-could-shape-midterms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:26:20 +0000 Harvey Kong,Emily Hung Harvey Kong,Emily Hung Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has denied he committed crimes against humanity in his controversial crackdown on drugs, telling thousands of Filipinos packed into a stadium in Hong Kong he only wanted to help people. The 79-year-old delivered an emotionally charged speech at Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai on Sunday at the event for Filipino workers, as he hit out over an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation amid speculation the global body would issue a warrant for his... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3301660/former-philippine-leader-duterte-hong-kong-event-amid-icc-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3301660/former-philippine-leader-duterte-hong-kong-event-amid-icc-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Mar 2025 04:16:45 +0000 South Korea’s police have requested help from Interpol to hunt down two Chinese men accused of stealing ashes of the dead for ransom on the southern island of Jeju. The duo, who were suspected to have fled the country, had allegedly broken into a columbarium earlier this week to steal six urns, local media reported on Thursday. Police have requested an Interpol red notice to capture the suspects, both in their 40s. A red notice indicates a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3300581/south-korea-seeks-interpols-help-arrest-two-chinese-men-over-ashes-theft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3300581/south-korea-seeks-interpols-help-arrest-two-chinese-men-over-ashes-theft?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Feb 2025 09:49:35 +0000 A notorious French fugitive who staged a deadly escape last year appeared in a Romanian court on Sunday after a nine-month international police hunt culminated in his arrest in Bucharest. Mohamed Amra, sporting dyed red hair possibly meant to disguise his identity, flashed a big smile at onlookers as he was escorted by police in and out of the courthouse. Ten other people in Amra’s entourage were arrested overnight, suspected of taking part in the preparation and execution of his escape last... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3299833/after-9-months-run-french-fugitive-who-staged-deadly-escape-faces-court-romania?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3299833/after-9-months-run-french-fugitive-who-staged-deadly-escape-faces-court-romania?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Feb 2025 19:00:50 +0000 On Thursday, 200 Chinese nationals rescued from online scam centres in Myanmar were repatriated to China, while hundreds more are expected to arrive in China in the coming days, according to Beijing’s Ministry of Public Security. The repatriation operation came after a flurry of visits to Thailand and Myanmar by Liu Zhongyi, China’s assistant minister for public security. Liu is now coordinating with the two Southeast Asian countries to crack down on cyber fraud operations in the region, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3299799/why-china-may-face-scrutiny-over-using-police-diplomacy-help-developing-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3299799/why-china-may-face-scrutiny-over-using-police-diplomacy-help-developing-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Feb 2025 08:44:13 +0000 A jailed gambling tycoon fighting extradition to China received “inhumane treatment” in a Thai prison after saying he was a Chinese spy, his lawyers have told Interpol, saying they fear for his life. China-born She Zhijiang, who has Cambodian citizenship, has suffered violence that has left him unable to stand and has received unwanted visits from Chinese officials, the lawyers said in a letter to the international police organisation. He was arrested in Bangkok in 2022 on an international... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3296382/thai-jail-crime-kingpin-who-claims-he-spied-china-fears-his-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3296382/thai-jail-crime-kingpin-who-claims-he-spied-china-fears-his-life?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jan 2025 02:12:13 +0000 The expression too good to be true seems apt for job offers in a cross-border scam that turned out to be forced labour. But the scam has ultimately resulted in efforts by the Hong Kong and Thai governments to help Chinese victims, and warnings from Chinese embassies to compatriots who might be tempted by fake opportunities. A Hong Kong government mission to Thailand to help rescue a dozen Hongkongers aged 21 to 43 has returned without them, although Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said it... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3294930/overseas-job-offers-can-appear-attractive-due-diligence-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3294930/overseas-job-offers-can-appear-attractive-due-diligence-order?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jan 2025 22:15:14 +0000 Authorities in Singapore do not have sufficient evidence that a Singapore-based Chinese fugitive who was arrested in Indonesia had committed money-laundering offences, the local police said, explaining why his detention occurred in Batam rather than within the city state. The police’s comments were in reference to the case of Yan Zhenxing, a Chinese national in his early 40s who is a Singapore permanent resident and on Interpol’s Red Notice list. Yan was detained on December 2 by Indonesian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3290455/singapore-police-explain-why-they-did-not-arrest-chinese-fugitive-interpol-red-notice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3290455/singapore-police-explain-why-they-did-not-arrest-chinese-fugitive-interpol-red-notice?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Dec 2024 05:40:22 +0000 Singapore is neither obliged to arrest fugitives on Interpol’s Red Notice list nor is it conferred the power to so for those wanted by a foreign jurisdiction, according to experts. Their comments centre on the arrest of a Chinese national on Interpol’s Red Notice list in Indonesia instead of Singapore, where he has permanent residence and is based. Yan Zhenxing was detained last Monday by Indonesian authorities after he arrived at a ferry terminal on resort island Batam, located some 23km (14... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3290206/why-singapore-based-chinese-fugitive-interpol-red-notice-was-arrested-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3290206/why-singapore-based-chinese-fugitive-interpol-red-notice-was-arrested-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Dec 2024 13:00:29 +0000 Authorities on Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali arrested a Filipino fugitive accused of helping scam over US$67 million out of clients in the Philippines, officials said on Tuesday. Hector Aldwin Pantollana, 35, widely known in the Philippines as a casino junket operator, was arrested on November 9 when an automatic gate at immigration in I Gusti Ngurah Rai international airport in Bali identified him as a wanted person using biometric data, said Saffar M. Godam, the acting Director General of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3288227/indonesia-arrests-filipino-fugitive-accused-running-us67-million-investment-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3288227/indonesia-arrests-filipino-fugitive-accused-running-us67-million-investment-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2024 10:33:01 +0000 The body of a 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl whose death sparked an international manhunt was found with burn marks believed to have been made by an iron, a prosecutor told a London court on Monday. Sara Sharif was found dead in bed at her family home in Woking, southern England, on August 10, 2023. The discovery triggered a manhunt in which Interpol and Britain’s foreign ministry coordinated with authorities in Pakistan. The day before Sara’s body was found, her father, 42-year-old taxi... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3282358/family-members-trial-murder-10-year-old-british-pakistani-girl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3282358/family-members-trial-murder-10-year-old-british-pakistani-girl?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2024 21:10:16 +0000 The arrest of fugitive religious leader Apollo Quiboloy, a close ally of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, is being hailed by Duterte’s critics as a significant step toward accountability for the human rights violations that allegedly took place during his administration. Rafaela David, president of the Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party, said on Monday that Akbayan “linked Quiboloy’s capture to the looming arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3277828/infamous-philippine-pastors-arrest-seen-major-blow-dutertes-political-fortunes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3277828/infamous-philippine-pastors-arrest-seen-major-blow-dutertes-political-fortunes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2024 12:40:21 +0000