China charges alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi with intentional injury: Report

Chinese prosecutors have escalated charges against alleged scam-network mastermind Chen Zhi, adding intentional injury to the list of accusations he faces. The 38-year-old, who was extradited from Cambodia to China six months ago, could now face the death penalty if convicted of intentionally inflicting bodily injury that results in death or severe harm.

Chen Zhi founded the Cambodian conglomerate Prince Group, which Chinese authorities claim was connected to an extensive online scam operation. According to Chinese business magazine Caixin, prosecutors dropped a previous charge of concealing criminal proceeds but introduced new charges including copyright infringement and intentional injury. Under Chinese law, such offenses carry a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and can lead to execution.

The United States is also seeking Chen Zhi, accusing him of operating one of Asia's largest transnational criminal organizations. Two of his key associates have already been returned to China and face charges ranging from illegal detention to intentional injury. Liu Ren, founder of Jinbei Group, was extradited in June, accused of operating multiple online gambling platforms under the Jinbei brand and enticing Chinese citizens to gamble. Li Xiong, former chairman of Prince Group subsidiary Huione Group, was extradited in April.

Meanwhile, Hu Shi, believed to be Chen's second-in-command, was arrested in Japan last month for document forgery, according to Kyodo News Agency. Hu, who allegedly used multiple aliases, is a 44-year-old Chinese-born Cypriot national. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Hu in June, identifying him as a close associate of Chen and stating he established several Prince subsidiaries outside Cambodia and was involved in the group's transnational real estate dealings. The U.S. designated the Prince Group network as a "transnational criminal organization" in October.

The Prince Group's conglomerate reportedly spans over 30 countries and encompasses diverse interests, including real estate and financial services. In May, a Hong Kong court ordered the freezing of over HK$9 billion (US$1.15 billion) in assets linked to Chen, his companies, and associated individuals. Subsequently, Cambodian authorities raided two buildings in Phnom Penh's Prince Central Plaza connected to Chen, detaining 104 individuals, 82 of whom were Chinese nationals.