Alleged drug, prostitution kingpin suspected of forcing tourists to run online scams extradited to China – New York Post

Report on Transnational Crime and Sustainable Development Goals: The Case of She Zhijiang

Introduction

She Zhijiang, a Chinese-born individual also holding Cambodian and Myanmar citizenship, has been extradited to China following his arrest in Thailand. This case represents a significant development in the international effort to combat transnational organized crime, an issue that directly undermines multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The prosecution of She Zhijiang for crimes including human trafficking, online fraud, and money laundering is a critical step towards upholding SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Criminal Enterprise and Conflict with Sustainable Development

She Zhijiang is identified as the primary shareholder of the Yatai New City development in Myanmar. Marketed as a tourist resort, the project allegedly functioned as a hub for a vast criminal empire, fundamentally conflicting with the principles of sustainable and legitimate economic development.

• Human Trafficking and Forced Labor: The operation allegedly lured individuals with false promises, forcing them into perpetrating online scams. This constitutes modern slavery, a direct violation of SDG 8, Target 8.7, which calls for the eradication of forced labor and human trafficking.
• Illicit Financial Flows: The enterprise’s activities, including online gambling, fraud, and money laundering, contribute to illicit financial flows that destabilize economies and impede progress on SDG 16, Target 16.4, which aims to significantly reduce such flows.
• Organized Crime: The network’s engagement in drug trafficking and prostitution further contravenes global efforts to build peaceful and inclusive societies as outlined in SDG 16.

Human Cost and Violation of SDG 8

The human impact of this criminal network is extensive, with the United Nations estimating that hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in similar scam centers across Southeast Asia. The operation systematically violated the core tenets of SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by creating conditions antithetical to safe and secure working environments.

• Victims were deceptively recruited through fraudulent job offers.
• Individuals were forced to participate in criminal online schemes, stealing billions of dollars from a global victim pool.
• The practice represents a severe form of labor exploitation that denies individuals their fundamental rights and economic freedom.

International Cooperation Upholding SDG 16 and SDG 17

The extradition of She Zhijiang exemplifies the importance of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) in addressing complex global challenges. A coordinated international response was essential to dismantle the criminal network and promote justice, thereby strengthening the institutions targeted by SDG 16.

1. Chinese authorities issued an arrest warrant for She Zhijiang in 2021.
2. The United States and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on She Zhijiang and his company for human trafficking.
3. Thai authorities arrested She Zhijiang in Bangkok in 2022 based on the international warrant.
4. Thailand’s judiciary finalized the extradition order, demonstrating a commitment to international law and cooperation.

This multilateral effort underscores the global commitment to fighting organized crime and ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable, which is a cornerstone for achieving peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article discusses forced labor and human trafficking, where individuals are lured with fake job offers and then forced to work in scam centers. This directly contravenes the principles of decent work and economic security.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  This goal is central to the article, which focuses on a large-scale criminal enterprise involving organized crime, money laundering, and human trafficking. The international cooperation between Thailand and China to arrest and extradite the suspect, as well as the legal processes involved, highlights the theme of justice and strengthening institutions to combat crime.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.

     The article explicitly mentions that the US and UK sanctioned She Zhijiang and his company for “human trafficking.” It describes how his organization “tricked people from around the world into visiting and then forced them to steal from others via internet schemes.” The UN’s estimate that “hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in these scam centers” further reinforces the connection to this target.

2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.

     While the article does not specify the age of the victims, the core issues of exploitation and trafficking are directly relevant. The mention of “human trafficking,” “prostitution,” and forcing people to perpetrate scams are forms of exploitation that this target aims to eliminate.

   • Target 16.4: By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime.

     The article details a “wider crime empire” involved in “gambling to drugs and prostitution,” “money laundering,” and “online gambling.” The statement that the online scamming industry “has stolen billions of dollars from victims around the world” directly refers to illicit financial flows and organized crime.

   • Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, to build capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.

     The entire narrative of the article is an example of this target in action. The cooperation between China, which “issued a warrant for She’s arrest in 2021,” and Thailand, where he “was arrested in Bangkok in 2022,” culminating in his extradition, demonstrates international cooperation to combat transnational crime.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention official SDG indicators by their numerical codes, but it provides data and descriptions that can serve as qualitative and quantitative measures of the problems and the progress in addressing them.

• Number of victims of human trafficking: The UN’s estimate that “hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in these scam centers” serves as an indicator for the scale of the problem related to Targets 8.7 and 16.2.
• Value of illicit financial flows: The article provides specific figures that can be used as indicators for Target 16.4. It states the industry has “stolen billions of dollars from victims around the world” and that “Americans have lost more than $16.6 billion to these scammers.”
• Number of individuals prosecuted for organized crime: The fact that She Zhijiang is “one of the highest-ranking scammers to face charges in China” is an indicator of progress in holding perpetrators of organized crime accountable, relevant to Target 16.4.
• Instances of international cooperation in criminal justice: The successful extradition of She Zhijiang from Thailand to China is a concrete example and an indicator of effective international cooperation, as called for in Target 16.a.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nypost.com