Tokyo police arrested Hu Xiaowei, a 44-year-old Cypriot of Chinese descent, on June 22 for allegedly submitting false residency documents in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward. Charges include falsifying a move-in notification for permanent residency.
Hu, known by aliases such as Chen Xiao’er and Wu An Ming, is a prominent figure in the Prince Group, accused of orchestrating one of the largest crypto fraud operations in history. US authorities seized approximately 127,271 Bitcoin, valued at around $15 billion, linked to the group's activities in October 2025, marking a historic financial forfeiture.
The Prince Group, led by Chen Zhi, is under scrutiny for operating transnational fraud and forced-labor scam compounds in Cambodia. These operations involve “pig butchering” schemes, where victims are manipulated into fraudulent crypto investments over time.
As the pig butchering epidemic grows, it surpasses ransomware threats in dollar losses, raising concerns for retail investors. The international response from authorities in the US, UK, China, and Japan signals a collaborative enforcement strategy against sophisticated crypto fraud networks.