Spotlight on Zhao Wei after KK Park scam crackdown

Monday, October 27th, 2025

Tension is once again rising along the Thai–Myanmar border following the Myanmar military’s air strikes on KK Park, a notorious scam hub in Myawaddy. Thai residents in Mae Sot district, Tak province, have reported hearing heavy explosions across the Moei River—likened to fireworks set off by the Myanmar Army and the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF).

On 26 October 2025, around 1,243 people of 28 nationalities fled across the Moei River into Thailand as Myanmar troops advanced. Among them were suspected Chinese ringleaders who allegedly slipped through natural crossings in Mae Ramat district, believed to be heading for Kings Romans Casino opposite Chiang Saen, Chiang Rai province.

Although details remain unconfirmed, the mention of Kings Romans inevitably brings to mind Zhao Wei, the chairman of the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) in Bokeo province, Laos.

A long shadow of suspicion

In late 2022, Thai whistleblower Chuwit Kamolvisit accused Zhao Wei of links to Tu Hao, a key figure in the Chinese “grey” business network, claiming the Dok Ngiew Kham Company—connected to Tu Hao—had invested in KK Park.

Zhao Wei fired back with a fiery press conference denying any investment by Dok Ngiew Kham in KK Park.

Yet Zhao Wei and his Kings Romans empire have long drawn the attention of Western governments.

In 2023, the UK, Canada and the United States jointly announced sanctions on individuals tied to Chinese-funded enclaves near Thailand’s borders—naming Zhao Wei, She Zhijiang, and Saw Chit Tu—citing UN reports linking them to forced labour and human trafficking through online scams.

It was not Zhao Wei’s first brush with sanctions, but he has consistently denied all allegations of trafficking or narcotics involvement.

The ‘Zhao Wei model’

Beijing began cracking down on cross-border call-centre gangs in 2024, launching the so-called “Zhao Wei model” in coordination with the Lao government to purge telecom-fraud networks within the GTSEZ.

Chinese and Lao police carried out joint raids, after which Laos’s Ministry of Public Security declared early in 2025 that no call-centre gangs remained in the Golden Triangle.

The “Zhao Wei model” contrasts sharply with Myanmar’s lawless “Laukkaing model.” Zhao Wei enjoys official backing from the Lao PDR government and apparent leniency from Beijing, which continues to regard him as a stabilising figure in the region.

Mekong analysts suggest that China’s so-called “grey economy” may serve as an informal geopolitical tool, balancing Western influence while keeping illicit networks under tacit control—ensuring such scam operations never fully disappear.

Zhao Wei’s rise from the Golden Triangle

Over two decades ago, Zhao Wei ran a casino in Mong La, a semi-autonomous Shan State enclave backed by local warlord Sai Leun.

When Yunnan authorities tightened border controls and cracked down on organised crime, Zhao’s casino operations were forced to close.

In 2007, he re-emerged in Laos, securing a 50-year concession to develop the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Ton Pheung district, Bokeo province.

Laotian leaders hailed Zhao Wei as a legitimate investor and visionary developer, turning his enclave into a showcase SEZ for the country.

Zhao Wei developed close ties with Somsavat Lengsavad, the former Lao deputy prime minister of Chinese descent. The two were known to share a personal friendship—Lengsavad’s ancestors had migrated from Wenchang, Hainan, to Luang Prabang during the French colonial era.

During his tenure, Lengsavad personally pushed for the approval of Zhao Wei’s 50-year concession.
 

Beijing’s outpost in the Golden Triangle

Experts note that Zhao Wei’s empire—straddling the frontiers of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand—has become more than a private enterprise.

To many observers, it functions as a strategic outpost of Beijing, keeping watch over US activity in the region and securing China’s foothold in mainland Southeast Asia.

While Western nations see Zhao Wei as a criminal mastermind, others in the Mekong view him as Beijing’s pragmatic operator—the man who turned a no-man’s-land of casinos and trafficking routes into a tool of Chinese influence. 

Malaysia’s Position on Article 5.1: Strategic Autonomy Over Uncritical Alignment

Article 5.1 No way! 

Article 5.1 may assert that Malaysia is obliged to replicate any trade restrictions—tariffs, quotas, or prohibitions—imposed by the United States under the guise of economic or national security. But let us be unequivocal: Malaysia is not a subordinate actor. We are a sovereign trading nation with our own strategic calculus, regional partnerships, and economic imperatives.

China and Russia are not adversaries—they are integral partners. Malaysian consumer markets are deeply embedded within Chinese supply chains, particularly in foodstuffs, household goods, and electronics. To mirror U.S. trade measures wholesale would be economically unsound and politically destabilising. The PH+BN coalition is acutely aware of this. Enforcing Article 5.1 without nuance risks fracturing domestic coalitions and alienating key minority communities whose consumption patterns are closely tied to imports from Hong Kong and mainland China.

Furthermore, Malaysia is actively deepening its engagement with BRICS nations. YAB DSAI’s invitation to the Presidents of Brazil and South Africa for bilateral trade summits is not symbolic—it is strategic. We are broadening our trade architecture, not constricting it. To jeopardise these relationships in pursuit of rigid alignment with U.S. protectionism would be a grave miscalculation.

Malaysia must interpret Article 5.1 through a lens of pragmatism and national interest. We cannot, and will not, abide blindly by language that undermines our regional stability or economic growth. Our trajectory demands diversified partnerships—across agriculture, textiles, engineering, and beyond. Compliance must be conditional, measured, and always aligned with Malaysia’s sovereign priorities.

Time Is Running Out: Why M. Indira Gandhi Must Act Swiftly to Locate Her Daughter

By Determined Sarawakian 

Seventeen years have elapsed since Prasana Diksa was taken from her mother, M. Indira Gandhi, at merely eleven months of age. Despite a landmark ruling by Malaysia’s Federal Court in 2018—which declared the child’s unilateral conversion to Islam invalid and reaffirmed Indira’s full custodial rights—Prasana remains missing. The father, who absconded with her in defiance of court orders, has yet to be located or held accountable. Law enforcement has failed to execute the arrest warrant. The state has failed to reunite a mother with her child.

But time is no longer a luxury Indira can afford.

⏳ The Legal Clock Is Ticking

In fewer than four years, Prasana will reach the age of 21—the age of majority under Malaysian law. At that point, she will possess full legal autonomy to determine her religion, residence, and familial affiliations. Should she emerge publicly and declare herself a Muslim, or worse, renounce her mother’s custodial claim, the legal and emotional stakes of this case will shift dramatically.

The Federal Court’s ruling will remain a powerful precedent, but its practical effect may be rendered moot. Custody orders do not apply to adults. And while the court invalidated her childhood conversion, an adult Prasana could voluntarily reaffirm her Muslim identity, placing herself under Syariah jurisdiction and beyond the reach of civil enforcement.

🔍 The Case for Private Investigation

Given the state’s prolonged inaction, it is imperative that Indira Gandhi consider engaging private investigators—without delay. This is not a matter of undermining the judiciary, but a recognition that enforcement mechanisms have failed. The police have had over a decade to act. They have not.

Private investigators, operating within legal bounds, may offer a parallel path to locating Prasana. Surveillance, digital tracing, and community-level intelligence gathering could yield leads that official channels have either overlooked or deprioritised. Time-sensitive action now could make the difference between reunion and irreversible separation.

🧭 A Strategic Imperative

This is not merely a personal tragedy—it is a national test of constitutional integrity. The longer Prasana remains missing, the more the state’s failure becomes normalised. If she reappears as an adult and publicly disavows her mother, it will be framed as her choice. But that “choice” will have been shaped by years of unilateral upbringing, religious indoctrination, and state-sanctioned parental alienation.

To prevent that outcome, Indira must act decisively. The window for meaningful intervention is closing. Private investigation is not a betrayal of the legal process—it is a necessary supplement to it.

🧾 Conclusion

Justice delayed is already justice denied. But justice abandoned is something far worse. M. Indira Gandhi’s fight has always been about more than one child—it is about the rights of all parents, the sanctity of civil law, and the future of pluralism in Malaysia.

Now, it is also about time.

Malaysia approves 50km border wall facing Narathiwat

B11.5bn equivalent budget approved for wall's construction

A border wall separates Thailand's Betong district in Yala and Malaysia's Perak state. A similar barrier will soon be built between Narathiwat and Kelantan state. (Photo: 4th Army Region)

The Malaysian government has approved the construction of a wall in Kelantan state along the border with Thailand fronting Narathiwat, and allocated a budget 1.5 billion ringgit (11.5 billion baht) for its implementation. 

Kelantan state police chief Mohd Yusoff Manat announced the decision and budget allocation on Tuesday, the New Straits Times reported.

"The allocation has been approved for the construction of the wall, and the chief secretary to the government, Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, has conducted a site visit to the border," he said in the report. 

The decision is a major victory for the Malaysian state, which has long sought the construction of a barrier along the border with Thailand's Narathiwat province, as the two countries battle against smuggling and other cross-border crime.

Malaysia has previously built crime-stopper walls along some sectors of the border with southern Thailand. This will be the first in Kelantan. It is also intended to prevent flooding from the Golok River, which separates the two countries in that sector.

The state police chief said the first section of wall in Kelantan would be built between Tumpat and Tenah Merah, Bernama news agency reported. The project was now in the tendering process, he said. It would be about 50 kilometres long.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/3124268/malaysia-approves-50km-border-wall-facing-narathiwat.

🇰🇷🇨🇳🇰🇭 Misplaced Blame and Missed Accountability: Southeast Asia Is Not a Monolith

Recent headlines have spotlighted the tragic death of a South Korean student in Cambodia, allegedly tortured in a scam compound near Bokor Mountain. The incident, alongside the repatriation of dozens of South Koreans detained or exploited in Cambodian scam centres, has understandably triggered alarm in Seoul. President Lee Jae Myung has called for a tougher crackdown on transnational scams targeting Korean nationals, and South Korea has even sought UN cooperation to address the growing threat of human trafficking linked to online fraud.

But the narrative now circulating—that Southeast Asia is broadly unsafe for South Koreans—is dangerously reductive.

🔍 Southeast Asia ≠ Cambodia Alone

Southeast Asia comprises eleven nations, each with distinct governance, security frameworks, and bilateral ties with Korea. To conflate the entire region with Cambodia’s criminal underbelly is to ignore the diversity and complexity of ASEAN. Many South Koreans in the region are not tourists but workers, students, and entrepreneurs seeking opportunity—not leisure.

🧭 The China Factor: Transnational Crime Needs Transnational Accountability

What’s missing from the conversation is the role of Chinese criminal syndicates operating across Southeast Asia. Scam compounds in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos have repeatedly been linked to Chinese nationals and networks. Beijing must take proactive responsibility—not just reactive diplomacy—before tragedies escalate further.

Let us not forget the 2011 Mekong River massacre, where 13 Chinese sailors were murdered by drug traffickers operating in Myanmar. That incident, underpinned by Chinese cartel influence, prompted a rare military response from China. But why wait for another bloodbath?

🛡️ Call to Action

China should lead regional efforts to dismantle scam networks seeded by its own citizens. South Korea must continue to differentiate between rogue zones and legitimate partners in Southeast Asia. And media outlets must resist the temptation to paint the region with a single, fearful brush.

Southeast Asia deserves nuanced engagement—not blanket avoidance.

'Bad apples' in enforcement agencies need to be thrown away

Published on 10 Dec 2020

A spate of crimes involving enforcement officers has prompted several public figures to urge enforcement agencies to improve their training to prevent the increase in the number of "bad apples". The latest probe was on two 30-something policemen, each carrying the rank of lance corporal and constable, who were said to have forced a couple to have sex while they recorded their act on their mobile phones on Dec 4. In October, the MACC arrested four senior police officers who were among 10 individuals for their involvement with a Macau syndicate, widely reported by the media. Following that, Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador, who repeatedly warned his officers against abuse of power, announced the formation of a special committee to screen police personnel qualified to work in certain departments. Police divisions such as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Narcotics CID, and D7, which deals with vice, gambling and secret societies, were undergoing major revamps. Last month, the MACC nabbed 28 immigration officers in cahoots with the "stamping facility" syndicates at KLIA. A low-rank officer was found to have luxury vehicles such as Phantom Rolls Royce, Mustang and Audi. These were among the recent cases reported by the media. Several public figures interviewed by Malaysiakini shared their thoughts on crimes involving enforcement officers.

Former IGP Musa Hassan

When police officers commit crimes, it shows that their discipline level had declined, and they have no respect for the law. If no standard operating procedure (SOP) was followed, there would bound to be corruption and abuse of power. In general, seven actions should be taken:

a) Stern action against officers and personnel for breaking the discipline, disregarding the Inspector-General of Police's Standing Order (PTKPN), and involving with corruption.

b) Stern action against supervisors or heads for failing to monitor and check their men and failing to take action against them for breaching the SOP.

c) Integrity and Standard Compliance Department and the MACC have to work together to monitor (possible wrongdoings).

d) Training during the service must be frequent for the officers and personnel to sharpen their skills, be aware of the standing orders and the SOP.

e) New recruits must be firmly instilled with disciplines to ensure that they respect the law and SOP.

f) Those who found to have a discipline problem need to undergo intensive retraining.

Alliance For Safety Community chairperson Lee Lam Thye

It is time for all law agencies to find effective ways to enhance integrity. It's something that cannot be compromised. Integrity covers the whole subject of work ethics. Every government department has its own integrity committee, but the question is, are they effective? Why, despite having the integrity committee in each department, we still see a lack of integrity among officers? The government must thoroughly review the integrity committees. Without integrity, there are bound to be problems such as corruption and abuse of power.

Crime analyst Kamal Affendi

If the public is worried about wrongdoing involving enforcement officers, they should also feel relief as the suspects have been arrested. It's the government's policy not to cover-up the abuse of power, and the enforcement agencies don't cover up their investigations. Hence, we can read reports about "bad apples". When some people start their jobs, they only have the knowledge of the system, but as they work their way up, this is where they know the weakness of the system and exploit it. When there is an opportunity in front of their eyes, surely it would become a motivation and desire to commit the crime. An immediate post-mortem must be conducted at all levels to identify the weak spots. We must not be satisfied when the suspects are punished. During the court case, we would be able to indicate the "weak spots". Then, we must seek to fix the weaknesses and close the exploited areas.  Kuala Lumpur Crime Prevention Practitioner Association exco Saiful Hamiruzzaman Mohd Hazir. Starting from now, the enrolment to join enforcement agencies must consider the mental health aspect of applicants. For so long, the agencies were focusing on the physical attributes of applicants. Weak mental strength will only lead to poor integrity, which opens up to the abuse of power. Secondly, victims and the public must know their rights when approached by enforcement officers and what they should do.

KLCPPA exco Bok Siew Mun

The police should implement the usage of body camera on their personnel while on duty. The applicants should undergo a thorough background check before joining the force and periodic checks thereafter. However, the public should know that only small police numbers are being investigated, not the whole police force. The police, on the whole, have done a lot to ensure our safety. Hence, we should not let a few rotten eggs tarnish the whole enforcement. On the other hand, severe actions should be taken if they are proven guilty. Crime analyst Shahul Hamid Abdul Rahim. The respective agencies have to review their work SOP to ensure that it's still relevant, and job rotation among officers and personnel must be regularly made. The standard of training and courses have declined. Many departments conduct training just for the sake of it. There's no proper training to encourage the participants to work with integrity and as a team. As for the enrolment of new recruits, every government agency has to review their modules. Perhaps, there are modules which do not achieve the desired standard.

- Mkini

- https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/554591

Corruption At the Malaysian Immigration Department

This post and the comments below are dedicated to the extent of corruption by Malaysian Immigration Officers. The gist of this post and comments are not to humiliate the Malaysian Immigration Department. The purpose of this post is to collect all the articles available on the corruptions and syndicates managing to corrupt government immigration officers on corruption. All those who love to travel and have any say about corruption in Malaysia is very welcome to say something in the comments column. Your views will not be judged but as the administrator of this blog, I will monitor your opinions. Please, this blog does not accept hedonistic, racialistic, and religious discriminatory comments. Any comments not related and offensive will be deleted, and you will not be entertained. 

MMZ enforcement not optimum due to lack of coordination - audit report

Bernama: Published 14 Jul 2020

The lack of coordination between enforcement departments and agencies, in terms of sharing of information, and insufficient assets are among the reasons why enforcement operations in the Malaysian Maritime Zone (MMZ) have not reached optimum efficiency.

The Auditor-General’s Report 2018 Series 3 stated that apart from damaged assets, the vast MMZ area also made it difficult for security and enforcement activities to be carried out.

“This is why activities like the smuggling of goods, encroachment and smuggling of undocumented migrants and incursions by fishermen are still happening in the ZMM,” said the report.

It added that damage to 34.6 percent of the ships and boats also affected the efficiency and effectiveness of operations in ZMM, while 11.7 percent of vessels or boats owned by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Royal Malaysia Police Marine Team and Department of Fisheries (DOF) were also damaged and have not undergone maintenance due to insufficient allocation.

The report further stated that there was no Malaysian Maritime Sea Surveillance System in the waters off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and east coast of Sabah to monitor any encroachment and smuggling activities in the zone.

It also said that there was no centralised collection and coordination of information among all the departments and agencies for enforcement purposes.

The report also revealed that Chinese Coast Guard vessels were detected to have encroached into the country’s waters 89 times from 2016 to 2019 and their presence had been identified to be related to claims over the South China Sea, especially the Beting Patinggi Ali area (BPA).

“Five diplomatic protest notes have been issued to China for trespassing into Malaysian waters following 29 reports lodged by the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) from 2018 to 2019,” the report added.

Thus, the report stated that the intrusion by China, especially in the BPA, was a serious threat to the sovereignty and security of the MMZ.

“Although the RMN has shown, through its presence in the area, that it will protect the sovereignty of the waters off BPA, it is not an enforcement agency.

“Accordingly, the MMEA should be at the BPA area at all times to carry out enforcement and give the Malaysian government an advantage should there be any claims by China at the international level,” the report suggested.

- Bernama

- Malaysiakini

- https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/534357

Police going after errant officers

CID Chief Datuk Huzir Mohamed

By Farik Zolkepli on Thursday, 11 Jun 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman is zeroing in on enforcement personnel who colluded with human smuggling syndicates following the arrests of 371 syndicate members during phase three of Ops Benteng, said Comm Datuk Huzir Mohamed (pic).

The Bukit Aman CID director said police have identified enforcement personnel involved with the human smugglers.

“We arrested 371 syndicate members comprising agents, transporters and those who prepared transit houses for illegal immigrants during the operation held from June 4 to June 7.

“The syndicate members were responsible for arranging the entry of illegal immigrants, especially those from Indonesia, Myanmar and Bangladesh, through land and sea, ” he told a press conference in Bukit Aman yesterday.

The police had started busting human trafficking syndicates since phase one of Ops Benteng from Jan 1 to March 17, before continuing in phase two from March 18 to June 3 during the movement control order (MCO) period, he added.“During phase two, the IGP instructed the CID to form a task force to curb the entry of illegal immigrants into the country, thus preventing the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

“The IGP had instructed as such, as intelligence indicated that more foreigners will attempt to return to Malaysia illegally after the Hari Raya Aidilfitiri celebrations, ” Comm Huzir said.

Since Jan 1,547 syndicate members, including 41 women aged between 20 and 70, were arrested, he added.

“Those detained were Malaysians, Indonesians, Bangladeshi, Myanmar nationals and Filipinos.

“We will step up our operations against human smuggling activities to cut the chain of the syndicate’s network.

“Our efforts are in line with the instructions from Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for the authorities to tighten security at the country’s borders nationwide, ” said Comm Huzir.

Comm Huzir said the syndicate members were arrested under Sosma and investigated for joining organised crime syndicates.

He urged those with information on human smuggling activities to contact the Bukit Aman CID’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) unit (D3) at 0326101510 or the nearest police station.

On another matter, 26,366 people were detained for various violations since the start of the MCO, Comm Huzir said, adding that 78% of them, who were detained between March 18 and June 9 have been charged in court.

“Compounds were also issued to 10,875 people, including 3,098 issued at police stations and 1,762 compounds in the field, ” he said.

The Star
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/06/11/police-going-after-errant-officers 

Covid-19 fears force separatists into ceasefire in south Thailand

Bernama on 5th April 2020

Thai-Malaysian border at Wang Prachan, Satun, Thailand. DChan Archives.

CORONAVIRUS | Southern Thailand's most powerful armed group, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), has announced a ceasefire to enable humanitarian and medical access into areas affected by Covid-19 outbreak in the province.

In a statement, dated April 3, the shadowy armed group said it is taking measures “to cease all activities" effective Friday (April 3), for as long as "BRN is not attacked by Thai government personnel”.

"In order to create a safer and more suitable environment for the people of Patani for health care agencies and other organisations tasked with preventing and containing the outbreak of coronavirus, BRN is now taking measures to cease all activities," said the statement which was issued by the group's central secretariat.

According to BRN, the pandemic, which has claimed several lives in the southern province is the "principal enemy of the human race" and the group reiterated its commitment to cooperate in overcoming the disease.

"As a defender of the Patani Nation, BRN calls on the entire Patani Nation to strive to protect each other and their families as much as possible and to pray to the creator," said the statement, adding that it also has to preserve "our nation and descendants" from being infected by the virus.

The group said the current climate of anxiety and hardship faced by the people in Pattani is further aggravated by increasing military operations, which are "inhumane and senseless."

Thailand's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has reported that 20 people in the Kingdom have died from the virus and 2,067 people infected.

Chan-O-Chan, Prime Minister of Thailand. Malaysiakini File Photos.

In a televised address, Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (above) announced a nationwide curfew from 10pm until 4am effective April 3 in a bid to contain the virus which has wreaked havoc throughout the globe.

Facilitated by Malaysia, BRN and Thailand's peace dialogue panel had held historic meetings in Kuala Lumpur in January and March this year in the latest bid to forge peace in the violence-wracked provinces of Patani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkla.

As the most influential armed group in southern Thailand, BRN has been blamed by Thai authorities for most of the armed-conflict related violence that happened in the southern provinces.

The armed conflict in southern Thailand, which borders northern Malaysia, has raged since 2004, claiming more than 7,000 lives.

- Bernama

- Mkini

- https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/518908