Key figures linked to a major Cambodian business group, which Washington has labeled a criminal enterprise, have invested heavily in Japanese property, according to flight and land records reviewed by investigative journalists.
Since the United States imposed sanctions on the Prince Group in October 2025, accusing it of running large-scale cyber fraud operations using forced labor, authorities in several nations have taken action. The U.S. sanctioned dozens of companies, the U.K. froze over $200 million in assets, and other countries followed suit. Japan, however, has not publicly investigated the group or its associates.
Despite Tokyo’s silence, records show that directors of Prince Group-linked firms have purchased high-value real estate in Japan. One individual, Chen Bo, a Chinese-born Cambodian passport holder, bought a mansion in a gated community east of Tokyo in 2019. He also acquired another property near a park in central Tokyo just before the U.S. and U.K. sanctions took effect, later transferring it to his wife. Japanese media estimated the combined value of these properties at roughly $7 million.
Chen Bo served as a director at nine companies that the U.K. later sanctioned for allegedly providing financial services to the Prince Group. He did not respond to requests for comment.
Another associate, Su Chang, also a Chinese-born Cambodian passport holder, purchased a luxury apartment in Tokyo’s Minato district in 2021. He is listed as co-director of a firm linked to the conglomerate. Flight records show he traveled to Japan on a private jet alongside Hu Xiaowei, a sanctioned individual previously linked to the Prince Group. Su Chang has not been accused of wrongdoing.
A third figure, Brendon Luo, bought a high-end apartment in the Shibuya neighborhood in May 2025. He is listed as a director of a Prince Group investment firm chaired by the conglomerate’s head. Luo did not respond to inquiries.
The group’s chairman, Chen Zhi, was arrested in Cambodia in January 2026 and extradited to China, where authorities suspect him of running fraud operations. A Prince Group spokesperson has denied all allegations, calling them unfounded.
No evidence directly links the Japanese properties to criminal proceeds. However, experts note that Japan lacks civil forfeiture laws common in other jurisdictions, making it harder to seize assets suspected of being tied to illicit activity. The Financial Action Task Force previously flagged weaknesses in Japan’s ability to confiscate crime proceeds.