Tokyo Police Arrest Prime Executive of an Asian Crime Group in Japan

Police in Tokyo have reportedly arrested an executive of the Cambodia-based Prince Group, one of the largest international fraud organizations in Asia, for allegedly submitting a false move-in notification.

The executive, Hu Xiaowei, a 44-year-old business owner, was arrested alongside other suspects, including a 31-year-old Chinese, Li Yin Hong, who is a company employee living in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward. The Japanese police plan to investigate Prince Group, an organization that is currently under sanctions by the US and Britain.

Arrested for Residency Falsification

According to reports, the arrested suspects conspired to submit a false notification of Xiaowei’s residency in Tokyo’s Chuo ward last April. During interrogation, Xiaowei told the police that he transferred his residency registration to Tokyo to obtain permanent residency in Japan. However, he claimed not to know the details, because he left his agent to handle the procedures.

Prince Holding Group is suspected of engaging in fraudulent activities involving luring people from various countries with fake job offers promising high pay. On arrival, they confine the victims, forcing them to participate in cross-border fraud and other criminal operations. Prince Group has been accused of orchestrating massive “pig-butchering” scams and fraudulent online setups. The syndicate is tied to a $15 billion financial fraud and money laundering scheme.

An Established Criminal Syndicate

Xiaowei is recorded to have operated under different identities, including Chen Xiao’er, Hu Shi, and Wu Anming. He is a Chinese-born Cypriot national and a top member of the syndicate. The arrested suspect operated a Tokyo-based trading firm established in 2023, whose capital suspiciously surged to $49,500 by March 2026.

Before his arrest, Xiaowei hopped between luxury hotels in Osaka and various Tokyo wards until the police caught him using security footage. Meanwhile, British authorities froze over $44 million worth of London properties linked to his alias, Wu Anming. He also frequently flew into Japan on a private jet registered to a shell company he controlled.

Tokyo police say Xiaowei is currently being detained alongside other Chinese accomplices who filed his fraudulent paperwork. Items seized from them include their smartphones and other items that the police believe would aid forensic analysis to uncover the full scope of the Prince Group’s illegal operations in Japan.