KUALA LUMPUR — Fugitive businessman Jho Low has reportedly claimed credit for Malaysia’s extradition of a Bangladeshi national to the United States in a child exploitation case as part of his efforts to secure a pardon from US President Donald Trump.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, Low, whose real name is Low Taek Jho, told US authorities in his pardon application that he could help facilitate several agreements, including the extradition arrangement.
However, the report noted that the extradition had already been pursued by senior US officials under both the administrations of Joe Biden and Trump.
“Low’s claims surprised some officials in Malaysia, who said he had no involvement in the extradition,” the WSJ reported.
The extradited individual, 28-year-old Bangladeshi national Zobaidul Amin, was handed over to US authorities on March 4 over allegations linked to online child sexual exploitation.
Following the extradition, Amin was transferred to Alaska by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with Malaysian authorities facilitating the process.
Court documents stated that Amin had been residing in Malaysia while studying at a medical college before his arrest. He allegedly used social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat to identify and coerce underage victims into producing sexually explicit images and videos.
Authorities said the alleged crimes involved hundreds of minors in Alaska, other parts of the United States and abroad.
Malaysian enforcement agencies had reportedly been working closely with the FBI and the US Department of Justice since September 2022 as part of the investigation.
During that period, Malaysia’s Attorney General’s Chambers also charged Amin with 13 offences related to the possession and production of child pornography.
Meanwhile, Jho Low, widely regarded as the most wanted figure linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal — is said to have formally sought a presidential pardon from Trump in recent weeks.
If granted, the pardon would effectively remove the criminal charges filed against him in the United States.
The US Department of Justice website reportedly lists a pending application for a “Pardon after Completion of Sentence” under the name Taek Jho Low, filed this year.
As with all pardon requests, the final decision ultimately rests with Trump and his legal advisers.
Jho Low, accused of masterminding the theft of more than US$4.5 billion (RM20.7 billion) from Malaysia through the 1MDB scandal, disappeared in 2016 as authorities in Singapore, Australia and the US intensified investigations into the global fraud case.
His whereabouts have remained unclear for years, although reports have previously suggested he may have been in Shanghai. – May 13, 2026