The allegations are that Teow built up a substantial business selling an unregistered, unregulated and unrecognised crypto-currency, much of it to buyers in China. Chinese authorities say they are investigating losses of CNY100,000 million.

MBI's activities has largely gone un-noticed until an action group staged a demonstration outside the Chinese embassy in Malaysia. Teow soon fled to Thailand where he was subsequently arrested as diplomatic efforts to have him deported swirled. China's application for extradition got in first and so Malaysia's request was postponed. It is not clear why the Thai authorities did not simply revoke his right to be in Thailand and deport him to Malaysia.

The case first drew attention in 2019 and China's first request for international assistance was in 2020.

China is leading a pan-regional approach to scam compounds where human trafficking is common and from which frauds are perpetrated. Working with the authorities in Thailand, Laos and Myanmar Cambodia and Vietnam where the scam centres are often set up, China has also worked with Malaysia and is currently involved in a large scale operation with The Philippines in which one suspect has been chased across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore before being arrested and unceremoniously deported even without an extradition request.