Chinese social media was shaken on November 14 as authorities officially disclosed the full criminal dossier of Xia Kailun, the long‑fugitive crime boss known as the distant cousin of Zhao Wei’s ex‑husband, billionaire Huang Youlong. After nearly four years on Interpol’s Red Notice list, Xia was finally captured by Thai police and extradited to China on November 12.
According to Chinese investigators, Xia originally named Xia Zhijiang, born in 1982 in a poor village in Shaodong, Hunan grew up just 500 meters from Huang Youlong’s childhood home. Xia dropped out of school in middle school and left for Guilin at age 14, taking up over 20 odd jobs in a year, from dishwashing to car washing.
His criminal path began in 2000 when friends lured him to the Philippines and later other Southeast Asian countries, where he joined illegal gambling and scam networks. Desperate for quick money, he invested all his savings 40,000 RMB into a computer and a tiny rented room to operate lottery and online gambling scams.
In 2012, Chinese police cracked down on his operation and issued a wanted notice, but Xia fled overseas before he could be arrested.
By 2013, Xia had founded the Asia–Pacific International Investment Group in Bangkok, a company that appeared legitimate but secretly ran a massive telecom fraud operation employing 3,500 people. His illegal enterprises amassed an estimated 3 billion RMB in assets.
In 2017, Xia relocated to Cambodia, obtained citizenship, and changed his name to Xia Kailun to evade pursuit. Under this new identity, he bought land, built facilities, and moved his fraud empire to KK Park, the notorious telecom‑scam compound in Myawaddy, Myanmar. Within eight years, KK Park became a sprawling criminal hub under his rule.
Shockingly, Xia operated so confidently that he even joined overseas Chinese business associations and became a vice chairman, despite being an internationally wanted criminal.
Authorities revealed horrifying details of Xia’s operations in Myanmar:
- He partnered with local armed militias under a 60–40 profit split.
- Victims trapped in gambling scams were forced into human trafficking schemes to pay off fake debts, sold for 20,000–300,000 RMB each.
- More than 330,000 people were defrauded, with illegal revenues estimated at 2.77 trillion RMB.
- KK Park also housed 248 other scam organizations.
Survivor testimonies exposed brutal torture inside the compound. One victim from Fujian said he had three fingers cut off after attempting to escape. A friend of his was beaten until his bones broke, locked in a metal cage, and kept submerged in water for days as punishment. Workers were forced to labor up to 20 hours a day, allowed only five bathroom breaks, and deprived of food or sold elsewhere if they failed daily targets.
Many of the rescued victims suffered severe psychological trauma, with some displaying signs of long‑term mental disorders.
Xia was also involved in illegal organ trafficking, intensifying the severity of his crimes. Interpol issued a Red Notice for him in May 2021, and by early 2022, China, Myanmar, Cambodia, and several other countries had listed him as a top priority target. In September this year, the U.S. Treasury announced sanctions against KK Park and Xia Kailun.
However, it was only recently that Thai police tracked him down and detained him.
Both Thai and Chinese authorities condemned Xia’s atrocities, stating that he operated under the guise of a businessman and philanthropist while destroying the lives of countless families. Many victims were left bankrupt, deeply indebted, or driven to despair and suicide.
Chinese officials have vowed a transparent investigation and strict punishment. The full extent of Xia Kailun’s crimes is still being uncovered as the case develops.
Sources: K14
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