BANGKOK – In a sharp move against cross-border crime, the Criminal Court on Wednesday approved arrest warrants for Cambodian magnate Ly Yong Phat and four alleged accomplices. Investigators accuse the group of running a large-scale money-laundering and online fraud network with links to casinos, call centres, and cryptocurrency flows.
The decision follows the takedown of a prominent gambling syndicate led by Kok An, the so-called “Godfather of Poipet”, whose detention has rattled Southeast Asia’s illicit gaming trade.
The court’s order is a rare step against a well-connected foreign figure with direct political ties in Phnom Penh, raising concerns over diplomatic friction and the scope of transnational organised crime.
Ly Yong Phat, 62, known in Cambodia as Oknha Phat Supapha, has long been a powerful and controversial figure. A senator and ally of Senate President Hun Sen, he built the LYP Group into a dominant player across casinos, real estate, and agriculture.
His businesses are strong in the western border region, especially around O’Smach and Poipet, where casino resorts attract Thai punters blocked from legal betting at home.
Thai police claim the glossy resorts hid a vast criminal enterprise. Documents seen by the Bangkok Chronicle suggest Ly and close aides set up a layered scam that blended online gambling, romance fraud, and crypto-based laundering.
The structure was split by function, with call centres in Cambodia pulling in victims through social media, Thai mule accounts receiving funds, and shell companies and digital wallets washing the proceeds.
“This was a clear hierarchy with defined roles,” said Pol. Col. Nattapong Srisawat of the Technology Crime Suppression Division. “Ly Yong Phat was at the top, and his team handled recruitment, operations, and money flows. It ran like a company.”
The court named four alleged associates alongside Ly Yong Phat:
- Chhim Sothy, 48, a Cambodian national and LYP Group executive, is accused of running call centre hubs in Sihanoukville.
- Tan Sokha, 55, a Thai-Cambodian dual national, is suspected of controlling Thai bank accounts that received victim transfers.
- Lim Bunthoeun, 50, is linked to cryptocurrency exchanges in Phnom Penh.
- Meas Sopheak, 42, a former Poipet casino manager, is alleged to have coordinated cross-border cash smuggling.
All five face charges of transnational crime, money laundering, and membership of an organised criminal group under Thai law. The offences carry sentences of up to 10 years in prison under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
The warrants were issued weeks after Thai and Cambodian officers raided sites in Poipet and detained Kok An, a feared tycoon long associated with the town’s gambling dens. He was handed over to Thai authorities on 1 November to answer charges of human trafficking, illegal detention, and running unlicensed online gambling platforms.
During questioning, Kok allegedly named Ly as a silent partner in several Poipet casinos, which investigators say doubled as laundering fronts. “Kok An sat within a wider structure,” a senior TCSD official said on background. “Ly Yong Phat provided political cover and the infrastructure.”
Police say they seized ledgers recording monthly “protection” payments to officials, encrypted chats coordinating victim targeting, and bank records tracking 12 million dollars in suspicious transfers from Thailand to Cambodia between 2023 and 2025.
U.S. Justice Department Steps In
The Thai investigation drew added momentum from related U.S. action. In September, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed indictments against 47 suspects tied to Cambodian scam compounds, charging conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
Three of the accused are described as mid-level operators within Ly’s alleged network.
Under Operation Southeast Asia Cyber Fraud Takedown, the DOJ, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations froze more than 50 million dollars in assets and disrupted call centres in Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh.
Prosecutors say syndicates based in Cambodia, including those linked to Ly Yong Phat, stole over 200 million dollars from U.S. victims through pig-butchering schemes. These scams begin as online romances, then lead targets to fake crypto platforms.
“These groups prey on weak oversight and open borders,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in a public statement. “We will go after everyone involved, from runners to ringleaders.”
U.S. authorities have asked Thailand for help locating Ly’s associates and signalled that extraditions could follow.
The case places Thai officials on a tightrope. Ly is close to Hun Sen, now Senate president, while Hun Sen’s son Hun Manet serves as Cambodia’s prime minister. Any move to detain Ly could strain ties. Cambodian state media have not commented.
LYP Group denied the claims in a short statement, calling them baseless and warning of legal action.
Pressure across the border is rising. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, speaking at a regional security forum last week, pledged zero tolerance for cross-border crime. “We cannot allow our neighbours’ problems to become our burden,” he said, a remark widely read as aimed at Phnom Penh.
Victims are asking for swift justice. “They took my life savings,” said Naree S., a 54-year-old teacher in Bangkok who lost 3.2 million baht to a scammer posing as a Singaporean businessman. “I want every one of them to stand before a judge.”
Ly Yong Phat remains in Cambodia. Thai police have issued an Interpol red notice and opened talks with Phnom Penh through bilateral channels. Analysts say extradition will depend on political will as much as legal grounds.
“This goes beyond a single person,” said Dr. Panitan Wattanayagorn of Chulalongkorn University. “It is about taking apart a system built on corruption, impunity, and addiction. Thailand is signalling that the border no longer protects offenders.”
The lights in Poipet still glow, casinos still hum, and tourists still arrive. Behind the scenes, though, the pressure is rising, and the shadows are getting longer.
