A Gullible Chinese Actor's Ordeal in Southeast Asia's Underground Scam World

TMTPOST – A few days into his freedom, Wang Xing, an obscure Chinese actor, recalled his week-long ordeal of being kidnapped into Myawaddy, Myanmar, with his hair being shaved by a online scamming enterprise, blank eyes and scars and bruises in the right leg.

A Message Leads to a Nightmare

On December 24, Wang, received a message in a WeChat group about a short drama project. The filming location was listed as Bangkok, Thailand. After checking the production company behind the project, Wang decided to take the chance, a decision that would eventually lead him into the hell.

Three days later, on January 3, Wang boarded a red-eye flight from Shanghai Pudong Airport, bound for Thailand. Upon arriving in Bangkok early the next morning, he lost contact with his girlfriend, Jia Jia, back in China. As time passed without a word from Wang, Jia took to Weibo on January 5, posting a plea for help. Her post was shared by many celebrities and sparked public concern. By January 7, Thai authorities confirmed that Wang had been found.

While many attributed the end of his mishap to the swift actions of Thai law enforcement, closer scrutiny of the case revealed something more sinister: a hidden underworld of organized crimes of kidnapping, human trafficking, torture, forced online and telephone scamming and the horrendous harvesting of body organs. .

Thai authorities quickly swung into action after Wang's disappearance. They accessed airport surveillance footage, which showed Wang entering the airport and passing through security alone. Investigators then traced the driver who had picked him up at the airport. The driver said that Wang had called a Grab taxi to take him on a 7-hour journey to the Mae Sot border area, which is located 510 kilometers from Bangkok. The journey passed through rugged mountain roads that were sparsely populated and treacherous. Despite the apparent dangers, Wang appeared unaware of the risks ahead. In fact, he posted on social media, joking about his "explosive start" of 2025, unaware that his life was about to change forever.

Upon arriving in Mae Sot, Wang was dropped off at a shopping center, where he was picked up by a group of men from Myanmar's Karen border guards. They transported him across the Moei River to the border town of Myawaddy in Myanmar, where he was handed over to a company operating in a local “industrial park” known as the Apollo Zone. This zone, unbeknownst to Wang, was the heart of one of the largest fraud hubs in Southeast Asia.

As authorities pieced together Wang's movements, it became clear that his disappearance was not a random kidnapping. Rather, it was a part of a larger scheme involving human trafficking and fraud. The man who had lured Wang into this trap, under the alias of Yan Shiliu, was later identified as Yan Wenlei, a former Chinese cameraman and film director . Yan had used his past experience to deceive Wang, promising him a chance at fame while ensnaring him.

The Fraud Hub in Myawaddy

The Myawaddy Apollo Zone, where Wang was detained, is located in a region now infamous for housing one of the world’s largest online fraud hubs. The area features a network of casinos, hotels, KTVs, and nightclubs, which serve as a façade for the illegal activities taking place behind closed doors. Inside the “industrial park,” the conditions were far more grim. The buildings were windowless, allowing employees to work long hours in isolation, with no contact with the outside world.

Fraud here is a complete and segmented industry chain, with specialized operations such as "pig butchering" scams, scams targeting housewives, and those focused on European and American markets... Fraudsters closely follow social trends and cater to individual preferences, tailoring scams to suit people of different ages, occupations, and educational backgrounds. Many Chinese people are initially tricked into these scams, but after undergoing systematic brainwashing or genuinely making money, they voluntarily choose to stay. Chinese people in Myanmar even view Myawaddy as a legitimate industrial park.

For the younger generation of Chinese in Myanmar, seven or eight out of ten have worked in Myawaddy. For local Burmese, the park is almost like a utopia—no internal conflicts, no power outages, stable environment, internet access, and relative freedom. Earning 100,000 yuan a year is not a dream, and those who are slightly smart and capable can earn 200,000 to 300,000 yuan annually. The dormitories in Shuigou Valley are very similar to university dorms, with bunk beds and desks, and even mattresses. Employees are even allowed to use their mobile phones, and in most cases, personal freedom is not restricted. In recent years, some young Chinese people have voluntarily come here. Villages from Fujian, Hunan, and other regions have even sent entire communities to "work" here.

Eight years ago, this area was an undeveloped stretch of farmland, but that all changed when a Hong Kong-based company, Asia Pacific International Holdings Group, partnered with Myanmar’s military leaders to create a massive investment plan. They envisioned a $500 million development that would include luxury hotels, casinos, and an entire technological city, according to WeChat account Shoulouchu However, this plan quickly morphed into a hub for illegal activities, including online gambling, human trafficking, and phone scams.

She Zhijiang: The Mastermind

The mastermind behind the Myawaddy fraud zone was a man known as She Zhijiang, who had previously been involved in illegal gambling operations in the Philippines. She, also known by the aliases She Lunkai and Tang Kriang Kai, had a history of using deceptive business practices to develop his criminal enterprises. His journey to becoming a major figure in Southeast Asia's gambling and fraud industries began with a series of scams in the Philippines, for which he was eventually convicted and fled to Myanmar.

In 2017, She and his partners launched the Myawaddy project, and it quickly became a hub for illegal activities. With support from local armed groups, She transformed the region into a sprawling complex for online fraud, targeting individuals across the world. The operation expanded rapidly, and by 2020, the Myawaddy area was home to numerous businesses involved in fraudulent activities, including phone scams, online gambling, and what became known as "pig-butchering" scams, a form of financial fraud targeting vulnerable individuals who wanted real love and intimacy.

She, arrested in Thailand, had once gained recognition within the Chinese business community, where he was touted as a successful entrepreneur. This carefully crafted image helped him secure investments and form alliances with various individuals, further solidifying his grip on the illegal operation.

The fraud operations in Myawaddy and surrounding areas are part of a wider network that spans across Southeast Asia. The region has become a hotbed for illicit activities, particularly in countries like Myanmar and Cambodia, where the authorities struggle to maintain control over these criminal operations.

The online gambling business, which is still illegal in Myanmar, serves as the cash cow for these operations. These fraud networks often recruit people like Wang, who are lured with promises of high-paying work in the entertainment industry or other lucrative jobs, only to find themselves trapped in a world of abuse. The scam operations are well-organized, with dedicated teams focusing on different types of fraud, including scams targeting foreign investors and online gambling schemes aimed at Chinese nationals.

Despite the apparent wealth and luxury that these zones project, they are built on the suffering of countless individuals who are lured into a trap they cannot escape. For those who enter these fraud zones, it is not just the immediate physical torture they face, but also the psychological trauma of being permanently trapped in a foreign country with no way out.

Wang was freed, but about 50 fellow victims he met in Myanmar are still trapped in the scam compound guarded by guards with rifles. His case has shed light on the grim reality that lies beneath the surface of the region's rapidly developing economies. The authorities’ swift response was crucial in rescuing Wang, but his experience serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk in the shadows of international business deals and the dark underbelly of global entertainment.