Signal EU sanctions seven persons, three entities over Southeast Asia scam centre human rights abuses

Summary

The Council of the European Union imposed sanctions on seven individuals and three entities on July 30, 2026, citing serious human rights violations linked to the operation of scam centres in Southeast Asia, under Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1896. Those newly listed include Prince Holding Group and Jin Bei Group, which operate scam centres in Cambodia and Myanmar, as well as the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), an armed group in Myanmar's Karen state. The sanctioned parties are implicated in human trafficking, torture, unlawful detention and cryptocurrency investment fraud, and face asset freezes and EU entry bans. The action follows an earlier round of EU sanctions targeting Myanmar-linked scam operations in October 2024, and comes after the US and UK separately sanctioned the Prince Group network in October 2025, indicating a widening multilateral crackdown on Southeast Asian scam-centre operators.