Underground 'gambling king', who was on Taiwan's wanted list & had fled country, shot dead in Cambodia

A Taiwanese suspect linked to a money laundering case several years ago has been shot and killed in Cambodia.

Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) confirmed the death on Mar. 24, local media outlet Taipei Times reported.

Cambodian authorities, however, have said the circumstances surrounding the death of the suspect, Lin Pingwen, remain under investigation.

The CIB added that its liaison officers, along with Taiwan's representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, are assisting Lin's family with arrangements.

The bureau's statement followed a report by local broadcaster TVBS that Lin was in Los Angeles, while other sources claimed he was ambushed and shot in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

Background

According to Taipei Times, in February 2023, Lin was indicted by the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on suspected money laundering charges.

The case was tied to Kuo Chemin, who had operated a private club in Taipei called 88 Lounge.

The club has since been shut down.

However, Lin failed to appear in court, leading prosecutors to forfeit his NT$3 million (about S$120,000) bail in December 2024 and place him on a wanted list.

Meanwhile, Kuo was arrested in Thailand in July 2023 and extradited to Taiwan after prosecutors accused him of facilitating illegal foreign currency transactions totalling approximately NT$2.7 billion (about S$107.9 million).

He was later indicted on charges of violating both the Banking Act and the Money Laundering Control Act.

In 2008, Lin was embroiled in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) Match-Fixing Scandal, reportedly directing a pitcher and other players to manipulate game outcomes in favour of a betting ring.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, Lin was sentenced to two years in prison, with the option to commute the sentence to a fine of NT$730,000 (around S$29,172).

Following his release, Lin ventured into the gambling industry, where he earned the moniker "Billion-Dollar Gambling King."

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