US Edition'Las Vegas in Laos': the Riverside City Awash with Crime
- The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Laos was established in 2007, granting the Kings Romans Group a 99-year lease on the area, according to the Laos government.
- Despite crackdowns, the area has become a hub for money laundering and trafficking, according to international authorities and analysts.
- Zhao Wei, founder of the Kings Romans Group, was sanctioned by the US Treasury for an array of horrendous illicit activities in 2018, and was also sanctioned by Britain in 2023.
- The city presents a mix of glamour and crime, drawing international workers, with some claiming to be victims of trafficking, as reported by Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group.
56 Articles
56 Articles
A ‘juxtaposition of the grim and the bling’ - Laos casino city accused of cybercrime hub amid crackdown | #cybercrime | #infosec - National Cyber Security Consulting
The zone was set up in 2007, when the Laos Government granted the Kings Romans Group a 99-year lease on the area. Ostensibly an urban development project to attract tourists with casinos and resorts, away from official oversight international authorities and analysts say it quickly became a centre for money laundering and trafficking. The city […] Thank you for subscribing to our RSS feed! The post A ‘juxtaposition of the grim and the bling’ - L…
'Las Vegas in Laos': The riverside city awash with crime
'Las Vegas in Laos': The riverside city awash with crime Estelle.Bronkhorst Mon, 07/14/2025 - 13:00 LAOS - Rising from the muddy fields on the Mekong riverbank in Laos, a lotus tops a casino in a sprawling city which analysts decry as a centre for cybercrime.Shabby, mismatched facades –- including an Iberian-style plaza replete with a church tower, turrets and statues -- stand alongside high-rise shells. The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zon…
‘Las Vegas in Laos’: the riverside city awash with crime
Rising from the muddy fields on the Mekong riverbank in Laos, a lotus tops a casino in a sprawling city which analysts decry as a centre for cybercrime. Shabby, mismatched facades –- including an Iberian-style plaza replete with a church tower, turrets and statues — stand alongside high-rise shells. The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) is the most prominent of more than 90 such areas established across the Mekong region in recent ye…
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