64 Korean Suspects Repatriated to Korea
Arrest Warrants Requested for 59 Individuals
Investigations into Voice Phishing and Related Crimes Gain Momentum
Authorities Probe Motives for Leaving Korea and Duration of Criminal Involvement
If Found to Have Knowingly Participated in Crimes
Prison Sentences Likely
With the repatriation of 64 Korean suspects who had been detained in Cambodia, investigations into criminal organizations involved in voice phishing and romance scams are expected to gain momentum.
Starting October 20, courts across the country will conduct pretrial detention hearings for some of the 64 Korean suspects repatriated from Cambodia. These individuals had been detained in Cambodia for committing so-called "scam crimes," such as voice phishing, and were flown back to Korea on the morning of October 18 on a Korean Air chartered flight. Upon arrival, they were transferred to the respective police agencies for investigation: 45 to the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency, 15 to the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency, 1 to the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency, 1 to the Seodaemun Police Station in Seoul, 1 to the Gimpo Police Station in Gyeonggi Province, and 1 to the Wonju Police Station in Gangwon Province.
It has been confirmed that, just before the 48-hour detention deadline in the early morning of October 19, the police applied for arrest warrants for a significant number of the suspects. The Chungnam Provincial Police Agency applied for arrest warrants for all 45 suspects under its jurisdiction, and the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency applied for warrants for 11 out of 15 suspects. Prosecutors subsequently requested arrest warrants for all of these individuals. The Seodaemun Police Station in Seoul applied for an arrest warrant for the male suspect it had in custody, citing involvement in an "investment leading chatroom," but the prosecution rejected the request. The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency and the Gimpo Police Station in Gyeonggi Province also applied for arrest warrants for the two suspects they were holding. However, the Wonju Police Station in Gangwon Province did not apply for an arrest warrant for its suspect. According to the police, these individuals are accused of committing scams such as voice phishing, romance scams, and investment leading chatrooms targeting Koreans, under the direction of Chinese organizations operating out of a Cambodian criminal complex known as "Wench."
The police reportedly questioned the suspects about their motives for traveling to Cambodia, the duration of their involvement in the crimes, and the extent of their participation. However, the police are still investigating whether these individuals were kidnapped and detained by Cambodian criminal organizations and forced to participate in the crimes, or whether they actively participated in pursuit of quick wealth. If it is determined that they knowingly went to Cambodia to participate in crimes after learning about them through overseas job search sites, there is a high likelihood that they will receive prison sentences in future domestic trials. For example, the Seoul Eastern District Court recently sentenced members of a voice phishing organization, which operated out of Cambodia and extorted hundreds of millions of won through romance scams, to prison terms of three to six years in the first trial.
This large-scale repatriation is expected to accelerate police investigations into scam crimes targeting Korean citizens, which have been rampant in Southeast Asia. Based on the suspects' statements, the police plan to pursue both domestic and international accomplices and the leaders of these organizations. Given the wide variety of crimes and the organized nature of these operations, if the full extent of the crimes is revealed, additional repatriations and international joint investigations are also expected to expand. The government estimates that around 1,000 Koreans are involved in the scam industry in Cambodia.
In addition, the police will conduct a joint autopsy with Cambodian authorities at a temple in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on a Korean university student who was kidnapped in Cambodia and died under torture. The student was found dead in a vehicle near Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province, three weeks after leaving Korea in July. The joint autopsy will include seven Korean personnel, including a forensic pathologist from the National Forensic Service and the lead investigator. After the autopsy, the police plan to cooperate with Cambodian authorities to ensure the remains are quickly repatriated following cremation and other necessary procedures.
A bilateral meeting between the leadership of the Korean and Cambodian police will also be held at 4 p.m. on the same day. During the meeting, the Korean side will express concerns about scam crimes, discuss ways to strengthen police cooperation between the two countries, and consider the establishment of a "Korean Desk." The Ministry of Justice has also implemented preemptive warning measures since October 17, including visual alerts and the distribution of cautionary messages at the departure stage at Incheon International Airport, to prevent employment scams and human trafficking targeting Korean citizens in Cambodia.
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