3,455 Arrested from 20 Countries Since Late July
Scam Rings Dismantled, Over 2,800 Foreigners Deported
Promotional Videos Spread Message: "Cambodia Is a Peaceful Country"
The Cambodian authorities announced on October 16 that they had arrested more than 3,400 individuals over a three-month crackdown on online scam crimes.
According to the local media outlet Khmer Times, the Cambodia Online Scam Response Committee (CCOS) reported that from July 27 to October 14, a joint operation led to the arrest of 3,455 individuals from 20 different countries.
Online scam criminals arrested as revealed by the Cambodia Online Scam Response Committee. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
By nationality, those arrested included citizens of China (including Taiwan), Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, South Korea, Pakistan, Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Myanmar, the Philippines, Laos, Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Mongolia, and Russia. However, the authorities did not disclose the proportion of arrests by nationality or the number of Cambodian nationals apprehended.
The authorities seized a large amount of evidence at the scene, including computers, mobile phones, passports, and other electronic devices, and are continuing their investigation.
Legal proceedings have also begun for 10 major cases cracked down in Phnom Penh, Kandal, Sihanoukville, and Kampot. Seventy-five individuals, including five women identified as ringleaders or accomplices, have been brought to trial, while 2,825 foreigners, including 476 women, have already been deported.
The crimes committed include online scams, murder, and human trafficking. This crackdown is considered the largest joint operation against cybercrime conducted in Cambodia this year. The authorities have rescued a significant number of human trafficking victims and dismantled several organizations involved in scam and trafficking crimes.
The scene of the 'Mango Complex,' known as a crime cluster near Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the 16th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News
The CCOS continues to cooperate internationally to analyze the confiscated evidence and is focusing on uncovering the masterminds and organizational structures behind the criminal activities.
Meanwhile, the Cambodian Ministry of Interior recently uploaded promotional videos featuring two Korean women on social media platforms, following a deterioration of the country’s image in South Korea due to recent incidents of confinement and kidnapping.
In these videos, the women conveyed messages such as, "Cambodian people are truly pure and warm-hearted," "What you see in the news is not everything about this country," and "It is unfortunate that there are so many misunderstandings about peaceful Cambodia."
Korean netizens had mixed reactions. Some argued that the main problem was Chinese ringleaders operating crime hubs in Cambodia, while others criticized the videos as possibly being manipulated with artificial intelligence technology and called on the Cambodian authorities to respond more strongly to crimes occurring in their country.
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