An executive of Prince Holding Group, a Cambodian conglomerate accused of being one of Asia’s largest transnational criminal organizations, is believed to have repeatedly entered and exited Japan after being sanctioned by the United States and Britain, sources close to the matter said Monday.
With authorities in the United States, South Korea and Taiwan moving to seize the organization’s illicit assets, the executive may have sought refuge for himself and his assets in Japan, where the legal framework for confiscating criminal proceeds remains underdeveloped.
There are suspicions that the organization purchased luxury real estate in and around Tokyo as part of a possible money-laundering scheme.
The individual believed to have repeatedly entered and exited Japan is Chen Xiao’er, who is said to be an adviser to Prince Holding Group Chairman Chen Zhi, currently detained in China.
Chen Xiao’er, who is of Chinese origin, holds citizenship in the Caribbean island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis and serves as a director of an investment company based in Palau. The U.S. government has also imposed sanctions on companies conducting transactions with him and related parties.
Following confirmation from diplomatic sources that an executive of Prince Holding Group had been visiting Japan, Kyodo News analyzed flight data for private jets from Oct 14, when U.S. and British authorities announced sanctions against the group and affiliated individuals.
According to the data, a small aircraft registered in San Marino with the tail number “T7-CLN” traveled between Narita airport near Tokyo and Phnom Penh around the time the sanctions were announced, making another two round trips later.
The aircraft was found to belong to CN Breeze Ltd, a Hong Kong-based asset management company, whose president, Wu An Ming, is listed as its representative in Hong Kong corporate registry records.
Documents previously disclosed by the Hong Kong company to a stock exchange identified Wu as Chen Xiao’er.
According to the British government, he possesses at least four different names and also holds citizenship in Cyprus, Cambodia, and China.
Kyodo News visited the registered address of CN Breeze in Hong Kong but found only a rented office and was unable to obtain sufficient information from the management company.
© KYODO
