When Washington imposed sweeping financial restrictions on a Cambodia-based criminal enterprise, the first name on the list was Chen Xiao’er. But that identity turned out to be one of many used by Wu An Ming, a businessman holding a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport who now controls approximately $45 million in British real estate.
Records obtained by investigative journalists reveal that Wu An Ming first traveled under the Chen Xiao’er alias in 2017, before officially adopting his current name by 2020. Despite American sanctions targeting this individual for his business ties to the alleged head of the Prince Group criminal organization, British authorities have not frozen his assets.
In March 2022, Wu An Ming purchased a Victorian mansion near Holland Park for 30 million pounds, financing part of the acquisition through a Citibank mortgage. He also used a British Virgin Islands company called Leisure Focus Limited to buy the former Imperial College Sports Ground in Teddington for 3.5 million pounds, and acquired a leasehold property in Maida Vale.
Legal experts note that American financial institutions cannot escape liability simply because the Treasury Department used an outdated alias. Sanctions operate under strict liability rules, meaning banks face penalties even for unknowing violations.
Wu An Ming’s assistant stated that the businessman had no ongoing relationship with Prince Group head Chen Zhi beyond their joint venture developing a resort in Palau, which he described as “unjustly sanctioned.”
The U.K. government declined to comment on whether authorities had investigated London properties linked to Wu An Ming, stating only that it does not discuss its designation process.
Beyond real estate, documents show Wu An Ming controls substantial holdings through another BVI company, Future King Inc., including Hong Kong asset management firms, shares in Nasdaq-listed medical technology company Nanomix Corp, and cryptocurrency-focused Boyaa Interactive International. His portfolio also includes aircraft leasing companies, with some planes registered in the United States.
The Prince Group has denied any involvement in illegal activities, describing the allegations as “baseless” and aimed at justifying asset seizures worth billions of dollars.