The Council of the European Union on 30 July 2026 imposed restrictive measures on seven individuals and three entities for serious human rights violations linked to scam centres in Southeast Asia, including human trafficking, torture, and degrading treatment. The sanctions target the Prince Holding Group and its chairman Chen Zhi, the Jin Bei Group and its chairman Zhu Zhongbiao, and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), a Burmese armed group. Those listed face an asset freeze, a travel ban, and a prohibition on EU citizens and companies making funds available to them.
The Prince Holding Group, a Cambodia-based conglomerate, builds scam centre compounds in Cambodia and Myanmar that run cryptocurrency investment scams and other frauds. Victims are trafficked or lured under false pretences, held against their will, and forced to carry out online scams, with reports of abuse, torture, kidnapping, and illegal detention. The Jin Bei Group similarly develops casinos and scam centre compounds in Cambodia for the same fraudulent purposes. The DKBA, which controls territory in Myanmar’s Karen State around Myawaddy on the Myanmar–Thailand border, facilitates large-scale scam centres by allowing illegal compounds to operate under its protection, with its soldiers reportedly participating in violence against trafficking victims.
The measures were adopted under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, established on 7 December 2020, which allows the EU to target serious human rights violations worldwide. The EU had previously imposed sanctions on 29 October 2024 against individuals and entities responsible for scam operations threatening peace and stability in Myanmar and the region. The legal acts were published in the Official Journal of the EU on 30 July 2026.
The sanctions impact the targeted individuals and entities by freezing their assets and restricting their travel, while EU businesses must ensure no funds flow to them. Victims of scam centres may benefit from reduced criminal activity if the measures disrupt the networks. However, the effectiveness depends on enforcement and cooperation with Southeast Asian authorities, which may be limited. The EU’s action signals a firm stance against transnational organised crime and human rights abuses, but does not directly address the root causes of trafficking or provide victim compensation.