Bangladesh, Nov. 29 -- When the United States and the United Kingdom jointly announced what they described as “sweeping sanctions” against the sprawling Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organization in Cambodia, officials touted the move as a major blow to a cyber-scamming empire accused of siphoning billions of dollars from victims around the world.

Yet beneath the triumphant rhetoric lies a glaring omission: a key business associate of the alleged crime syndicates leader not only escaped British sanctions entirely but has quietly amassed tens of millions of dollars in property and corporate holdings using multiple identities.

This individual, known publicly as Chen Xiaoer, appears prominently on the US sanctions list. B...