Attacks Expand to Target Criminal Complexes and Casinos
Armed Clashes Continue Despite International Calls for Ceasefire
Thailand, currently engaged in an armed conflict with Cambodia, has officially declared that its airstrikes on criminal complexes-so-called scam operation sites-within Cambodia are aimed at eradicating 'criminal gangs.' On December 18, Yonhap News reported, citing an announcement from Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense, that at around 11 a.m. that day, the Thai Air Force dropped two bombs on the Poipet area in Banteay Meanchey Province, northwestern Cambodia, near the Thai border. Poipet, along with Sihanoukville in the south, is considered one of the major hubs for criminal complexes in Cambodia.
The Thai military bombed the Poipet area in Banteay Meanchey Province in northwestern Cambodia, destroying warehouse facilities. Photo by AP Yonhap News.
According to testimonies from Korean victims who managed to escape from these criminal complexes, those who failed to meet performance targets while working for scam organizations in Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville were transferred to Poipet, where they were subjected to assault, torture, and, in some cases, even lost their lives. For this reason, Poipet is notorious as the worst crime den in Cambodia. The Cambodian Ministry of Interior stated that at least four casinos in the country were damaged by this week’s Thai military airstrikes.
In response, the Thai military recently issued a statement saying that it had targeted casinos and scam-related facilities used by the Cambodian military this month. The military also claimed to have neutralized at least six sites, including two facilities that are subject to U.S. government sanctions. The Thai military characterized the current operation as a 'war against scam syndicates,' emphasizing, "The real enemy is the transnational criminal network that has sustained illegal profits through violence, along with the power structures supporting it." The military added, "We are dismantling the support structures for cross-border crime."
The Poipet area, which Thailand bombed with the aim of eradicating 'criminal gangs,' is notorious as one of the worst crime dens in Cambodia. Photo by AP Yonhap News
Previously, Thailand and Cambodia reached a ceasefire agreement in October, brokered by then-U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysia, the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) chair, after at least 48 people were killed during five days of armed clashes along the border in July. However, the two countries resumed hostilities on December 7, and according to AFP, at least 38 people have been killed so far-21 in Thailand and 17 in Cambodia.
As tensions rise again, ASEAN foreign ministers plan to hold an emergency meeting in Malaysia on the 22nd to seek a diplomatic solution. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated, "I urge both Thailand and Cambodia to immediately halt attacks along the front lines and, if possible, move swiftly toward a ceasefire," adding, "I am cautiously optimistic about this upcoming meeting."
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