Two Chinese-born businessmen among six people hit by travel bans and property freezes
The US and UK have seized $15bn (£11.3bn) in bitcoin and frozen London properties owned by the alleged leaders of scam centres in Cambodia that trick victims around the world and torture their trafficked workers.
Two Chinese-born businessmen are among the six people hit by travel bans and sanctions that aim to tackle the growing threat of organised crime gangs carrying out online fraud globally on an industrial scale.
The US Department of Justice said on Tuesday that it had seized about 127,271 bitcoin, valued at $15bn (£11.3bn), that were proceeds of fraud and money laundering. It was the largest forfeiture action in the history of the department.
The frozen properties are thought to include a £12m mansion on Avenue Road, one of London’s most expensive addresses, a £95m office block on Fenchurch Street in the heart of the City of London’s financial district, and several flats in central London.
