Alleged 'Pig Butchering' Prince Group Kingpin Hu Shi Arrested in Japan

Hu Shi, believed to be a manager of the Prince Group, was arrested on June 14 in Osaka, Japan, on suspicion of falsifying public records. Local reports indicate that Hu submitted a fraudulent address change form in April, claiming he had moved to Tokyo to obtain permanent residency. He stated he left the details to his agent.

Japanese police linked Hu to the Prince Group, an organization that allegedly ran one of the largest ‘pig butchering’ scam centers in Cambodia. In October 2025, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated the Prince Group as a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO), targeting 145 individuals. The Huione Group, a Cambodian financial conglomerate, was also sanctioned.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) subsequently indicted Prince Group ringleader Chen Zhi on wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges, and launched a forfeiture action of 127,271 Bitcoin (worth nearly $15 billion at the time) — the largest in the department’s history. Chen was arrested in Cambodia and extradited to China in January.

Hu remained at large until Japanese police tracked him via security footage and searched several luxury hotels in Osaka. He serves as a representative director of a Tokyo-based company whose capital grew sixfold in three years.

The arrest follows FBI Director Kash Patel’s vow to intensify the fight against pig butchering scams, stating he would bring these criminals to justice.

Source: https://news.bitcoin.com/alleged-pig-butchering-prince-group-kingpin-hu-shi-arrested-in-japan/