Director of Hong Kong-listed FSM Holdings resigns amid Cambodian crime allegations

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Li Thet, government director of Hong Kong-listed FSM Holdings, resigned after US authorities linked him to an alleged Cambodian cyber-scam operation.

The US Division of the Treasury’s Workplace of International Property Management (OFAC) sanctioned Li for alleged felony involvement with what it referred to as the Prince Group transnational felony organisation (TCO), which it and UK authorities stated was concerned in on-line scams, human trafficking and cash laundering.

Prince Holding Group, led by a Chinese language-born businessman Chen Zhi, was the outward-facing company identification of the TCO, in response to the OFAC.

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Li resigned from all positions at FSM Holdings, together with government director, board chairman and nomination committee chairman, efficient October 21, the corporate stated in a submitting with the Hong Kong inventory trade on Tuesday.

FSM Holdings instantly initiated an inside evaluation and took steps to make sure full compliance with relevant legal guidelines and rules upon studying of the US Treasury Division’s announcement, it stated.

“The corporate is presently in search of skilled recommendation to evaluate and tackle the state of affairs and can make additional bulletins as and when applicable,” it added.

Li, also referred to as Li Tian in Chinese language, was born on July 6, 1987, in Beijing and held each Chinese language nationality and Cambodian citizenship, in addition to a Vanuatu passport, the OFAC stated.

The US on October 14 sanctioned a community of greater than 115 companies it stated have been affiliated with the Prince Group TCO, 11 of that are registered in Hong Kong. Most are offshore shell corporations registered in overseas jurisdictions that don’t conduct actual business actions.

Autos drive previous Prince Worldwide Plaza in Phnom Penh on October 15, 2025. Photograph: AFP alt=Autos drive previous Prince Worldwide Plaza in Phnom Penh on October 15, 2025. Photograph: AFP>

FSM Holdings itself was not included on the sanctions checklist.

Listed on the Hong Kong inventory trade since 2018, FSM operates in precision sheet metallic engineering and on-line cellular sport improvement. The corporate was integrated within the Cayman Islands as an exempted firm with restricted legal responsibility in 2018.

Its shares closed at HK$0.435 with almost zero turnover on Tuesday, giving the corporate a market valuation of HK$435 million. Its unaudited loss widened to US$3.97 million within the first half of this yr from US$413,000 in the identical interval final yr, in response to its earnings outcomes.

FSM Holdings stated market dangers reminiscent of fluctuations in overseas trade and rates of interest, in addition to credit score and liquidity threat, may pose threats to its companies.

The corporate’s board now contains sole government director Wong But Lian.

Prince Holding Group is registered as a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Cambodia, with investments in leisure, finance and actual property.

In keeping with US and UK authorities, the group conducts large-scale felony actions together with cyber fraud, human trafficking, compelled labour, on-line rip-off compounds and cash laundering throughout a number of nations. The US and UK have described their motion in opposition to the group as their largest-ever law-enforcement motion focusing on cybercriminal networks in Southeast Asia.

Earlier in October, US and UK authorities seized over US$14 billion in bitcoin and luxurious belongings linked to Chen and froze property related to his community throughout a number of nations. The 38-year-old was named on the US sanction checklist together with Li. Chen has operations in Hong Kong, and a associated firm owns an workplace constructing within the metropolis, the Submit has discovered. He was indicted on October 8 in a US federal courtroom on expenses of wire fraud conspiracy and money-laundering conspiracy.

This text initially appeared within the South China Morning Submit (SCMP), probably the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for greater than a century. For extra SCMP tales, please discover the SCMP app or go to the SCMP’s Fb and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Submit Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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