A new city has been erected from farmers ground in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at the Mekong river in Bokeo province in Laos. Under the guidance of Chinese Businessman Zhao Wei it has become not only a tourism and property development but especially a hub for cyberscam and money laundering among other criminal activities. How does the government of Laos react?
"Asia’s Most Conspicuous Criminal Enclave" and "Transnational crime along the Mekong": Headlines of stories published by International Crisis Group published in 2023 and 2024. These described Kings Romans casino as an "open display of money laundering". These named Zhao Wei (Chinese: 趙偉) a crime boss, the Chinese businessman holding a 99-year licence for operations in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ, Chinese: 金三角经济特区), created by the government of Laos for economic development in the northern province of Bokeo. These articles remembered, that Zhao Wei has been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for “drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, bribery and wildlife trafficking”. Zhao Wei himself called these allegations "groundless".
Zhao Wei , Chairman of the administration of the Special Economic Zone, enjoyed backing by influential Lao PDR government people. For instance he developed close ties with Somsavat Lengsavad, the former Lao deputy prime minister of Chinese descent, as nationthailand.com reports. "During his tenure, Lengsavad personally pushed for the approval of Zhao Wei’s concession" given by the state of Laos to the Dong Ngiew Kham Group (Golden Kapok Group, 金木棉集团) of Zhao Wei.
But in 2023 it got more and more obvious, that the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone had become a hotspot for online fraud and human trafficking. Many people, who were lured with high-paying job offers, told the police and the media in China, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and other countries, how they were forced to work in scam compunds as online fraudsters, cheating internet users in many Asian countries and even were tortured, when they did not reach the fraud goals. As there were many victims in China, who lost their fortune, the Chinese government began to pressure the Lao government for actions against the scam.
At the end of the year 2023 and the beginning of the year 2024 Chinese law enforcement officers of the Ministry of Public Security travelled to Laos. Together with Lao police forces they arrested 462 online fraud suspects in December and 154 people on January 21. Later followed more raids and another 114 suspects were caught. And on February 28 Chinese media reported: "268 criminal suspects who committed cross-border telecommunications network fraud were handed over to us." The handover took place in January at Bokeo international airport. Also this airport has been constriucted by Zhao Wei's group.
What were the consequences for Zhao Wei? He has since then lost a part of his power in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone. But not all. The security and the jurisdiction in the zone had been for years in the hands of his private group as well as the immigration. The security forces of Laos did not control the zone, where the main language and the currency were Chinese. Now this has changed. But he is still supported by the government of Laos. The developments:
In 2024, Lao authorities shut down nine illegal call center operations in the SEZ, arresting 267 individuals from 16 different countries, as Anousin Sackpaseuth, Head of the Public Security Office at the Golden Triangle SEZ, revealed in an annual report on 30 December. Throughout August an operation targeted 46 business units involved in telecommunication fraud. Police also seized over 10,000 computers, 11,000 mobile phones, and large amounts of cash used in fraud schemes, as The Laotian Times reports.
On August 9 2024 a meeting, chaired by Bokeo Governor Thongchanh Manixay and Zhao Wei, focused on the rampant telecom fraud within the SEZ. It was announced that authorities in Bokeo Province would establish a special task force to crack down on illegal activities within the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone. This task force would have the authority to arrest business operators who continue to run unauthorized call centers. Those found in violation would face thorough investigation and prosecution, according to Vanthone Soulisack, Deputy Director General of the General Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security. Governor Thongchanh emphasized that the governments of Laos and China, in cooperation with the Golden Triangle SEZ’s governing committee, had actively been dismantling illegal operations. The meeting also highlighted the need for Zhao Wei's Group to work closely with Lao authorities to tackle other illegal activities within the zone, including unauthorized entry and exit, harboring fugitives, the use of illegal vehicles, and other forms of crime. "Despite the continuous domestic effort, the Bokeo SEZ remains a hot hub for illicit activities, especially drug trafficking", Laotian Times wrote.
Between 26 and 29 August 2024 there was a crackdown led by Saichay Kommasith, Chief of the Office of the Lao Ministry of National Defence, involving a coordinated effort with the Special Economic Zone Executive Council and the National Defense and Security Forces. During the inspection, officials targeted 46 business units within the SEZ, resulting in the seizure of equipment and assets. The authorities confiscated over 10,000 computers, nearly 200 notebooks, and more than 11,000 mobile phones. "Many of the business owners involved could not be located at the time of the inspection", writes Laotian Times They seem to have been warned early enough.
In November 2024 the Management Board Committee for Special Economic Zones (SEZs) has instructed online game operators within the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to consolidate their operations at a single location. This move aims to streamline inspections and improve cyber security oversight. The decision affects 16 companies and their 95 subsidiaries, all authorized to run online gaming businesses according to Laotian Times.
But the governments support for Zhao Wei continued: On December 6 2024 Zhao Wei was awarded a Third-Class Development Medal by Viengsavath Siphandone, the Governor of Luang Namtha. the medal recognizes his contributions to the province’s security efforts. The award, granted under a presidential decree issued on 29 October, acknowledges Zhao Wei’s material and financial support of LAK 1.3 billion (approximately USD 59,400) to the Luang Prabang Provincial Police Command. All this shows: Zhao Wei continues to enjoy the support of the Lao government, which sees him as a key driver of economic growth. Because Laos faces high public debt, the government relies on foreign investment to drive the economy.
In early January 2025 a parallel collaboration between the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone Protection Agency, representing the Laotian government, and the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone Administrative Council, representing Zhao Wei's Group, began as nationthailand.com writes. Deputy Minister of Public Security General Khamking Phuylamaneewong, Laos Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Sathabandid Inseechiangmai, and Vice President of the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone Administration Council Gao Long attended a meeting to evaluate the progress in tackling call-centre gangs. Laos police deputy chief Brig-General Wanton Surisak reported that over the past two years, strict enforcement of laws had helped prevent social impacts on the people of Laos. As a result, the problem of call-centre gangs had been significantly reduced. He announced the police would intensify law enforcement in 2025 to close off opportunities for call-centre gangs to operate.
Two interesting developments: Formation of the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone Protection Agency, a security agency in the hands of the government of Laos. And: Zhao Wei was not present at this meeting. And he was again not present at the Golden Kapok Festival from January 27 till February 2, a staging of the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone's grandeur by Zhao Weis administration. General Vilay Lakhamphong, Laos deputy prime minister and public security minister, presided over the opening of the Festival, accompanied by senior officials. "Their presence was proof that the Laos government was committed to supporting the growth of the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone", analyses nationthailand.com. Zhao Wei has remained out of the spotlight for several months. Instead, vice president Gao Long stepped in to represent the zone at key events.
"Nation TV" conducted an on-site survey of the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone and showed a large-scale construction ongoing, including residential buildings, a 300-bed hospital, an eight-lane road, the Golden Triangle International Border Crossing. The school system has also expanded to include education up to the secondary level. The TV-crew detected, that the area now was quieter. Many restaurants, pubs, bars and hotels had closed, and some large buildings had been abandoned.
Also in 2025 actions against cyberscam continued: In July Lao and Vietnamese police have arrested 59 Vietnamese nationals involved in a high-tech fraud ring based in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, as Laotian Times reported. On July 5 Lao police launched a major raid in the Golden Triangle, arresting 45 suspects, 31 Vietnamese and 14 Chinese nationals. That same day, another 14 Vietnamese suspects were caught at Vientiane’s Wattay International Airport while trying to fly to Cambodia. An additional 15 individuals were apprehended as they attempted to cross into Vietnam via the Tay Trang International Border Gate in Dien Bien Province. According to Voice of Vietnam, the fraud ring operated a fake online investment platform called ATFX, promising daily returns of up to 24 percent. Vietnamese police had launched Project 625T back in February 2025 after identifying Hoang Van Trung, a 1994-born man from Cao Bang, as the mastermind behind the scheme. Trung and his associates operated the ATFX platform from inside the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone.
US-watchdogs are fuelling speculations that the cyberscam is going on in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, now no more directed at Chinese victims but at victims overseas, organized in a way by Zhao Wei, that Chinese interests in Southeast Asia are supported. For instance a piece by Brookings notes: "Criminal networks provide a variety of services to the Chinese government, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and Chinese legal enterprises. They help build networks of corruption and influence among foreign politicians and businesses.
Picture on Facebook by Marlene Luyt
Read also:
The Golden Special Economic Zone: The end of a criminal dynasty or expansion into new locations Article by Jason G. Tower in Mekong Risk Monitor
Abused, exploited: How two Africans became trapped in a cyber-scam in Laos In May 2025 people tell Al Jazeera that cyberscam is ongoing in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone.
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