$900 million was taken from MBI International scammers who were arrested.
$900 million linked to MBI International, a Ponzi fraud operated by Tedy Teow Wooi Huat (also known as Zhang Yufa), has been seized by Chinese and Malaysian authorities.
According to a June 11, 2025, South China Morning Post article, Chinese and Malaysian police have seized more than 3.8 billion ringgit (US$900 million) worth of assets, including real estate and yachts, from a syndicate that is accused of defrauding millions of people in the Asia-Pacific region by promising high-yield investments.
Last month, 17 persons were taken into custody as part of Operation Northern Star. One of them was a well-known real estate developer who reportedly assisted MBI in money laundering through a network of companies.
Four opulent yachts valued around 36 million ringgit and more than 475 real estate parcels worth 150 million ringgit have been confiscated by police.
Legal Action and Challenges
After years of inactivity between MBI’s 2009 debut and Teow’s first arrest in 2017, authorities have estimated Teow’s overall haul at $14 billion.
Teow was turned over in August 2024 after a Chinese extradition request stalled after another detention in Thailand in 2022.
There have been no public updates on Teow’s status since his extradition to China.
