Japan · Bitcoin · China · Crypto Briefing
Prince Group executive Hu Xiaowei arrested in Tokyo over $15 billion Bitcoin scam investigation
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Tokyo police detained the sanctioned Cypriot national on false residency charges as global authorities continue dismantling one of the largest crypto fraud empires ever uncovered.
Key facts
- US authorities seized approximately 127,271 Bitcoin, valued at around $15 billion at the time, in October 2025 in connection with the group’s activities
- Tokyo police arrested Hu Xiaowei, a 44-year-old Cypriot national of Chinese descent, on June 22 for allegedly submitting false residency documents in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward
- The 127,271 Bitcoin seized by US authorities in October 2025 gives a sense of the scale involved
- Chen Zhi, the group’s chairman, was indicted by US authorities in October 2025
Summary
Tokyo police arrested Hu Xiaowei, a 44-year-old Cypriot national of Chinese descent, on June 22 for allegedly submitting false residency documents in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward. Hu is a senior figure tied to the Prince Group, an organization accused of running one of the most sprawling crypto fraud operations in history. The immediate arrest charges center on Hu allegedly falsifying a move-in notification to support an application for permanent residency in Japan. Hu, who also goes by aliases including Chen Xiao’er and Wu An Ming, has been sanctioned by both the US and UK governments for his ties to the Prince Group.