US hits notorious Laos casino with sanctions

A hub for crime: The Kings Romans casino stands in the Golden Triangle special economic zone on the banks of the Mekong river in Laos near the border between Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. — Reuters

Washington: The US Treasury placed the notorious Kings Romans Casino in the Golden Triangle region of Laos on its organised crime sanctions blacklist, calling it a hub for trafficking in humans, drugs and protected animals.

The Treasury said the Chinese casino owner Zhao Wei heads a formidable “transnational criminal organisation” operating from the gaming resort in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone on the Mekong River near Ton Pheung, Laos, close to where Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet.