Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng revealed that he almost daily receives text messages enticing him to engage in gambling, and has instructed the National Police to intensify efforts to combat illegal online gambling crimes.
Recently, Sar Kheng emphasized that the police must strengthen the supervision of illegal online gambling activities, including cracking down on the use of text messages to lure people into opening gambling accounts. He stated outright that even he himself receives such scam messages daily, highlighting the severity of the issue.
He reiterated that the government will continue to strengthen law enforcement, resolutely combat illegal online loans and gambling crimes, in order to maintain public order and protect public interests.
Recently, during a meeting with Wang Wenbin, the Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia, and Lou Xiandi, Director of the Information Monitoring Center for Prevention of Telecommunication Network Fraud at the Ministry of Public Security of China, Sar Kheng stated that Cambodia will formulate a new action plan to enhance the crackdown on various types of transnational crimes including gambling scams, further deepening law enforcement cooperation between Cambodia and China, and promoting more achievements in bilateral law enforcement cooperation.
Criminals use "fake base station" devices to send online gambling text messages, enticing the public to participate in gambling. In January this year, the gendarmerie in Sihanouk province cracked a case of extortion by impersonating law enforcement officers.
The suspects impersonated gendarmes and national police, repeatedly intercepting vehicles transporting "fake base station" devices, and extorted the related personnel under the pretext of illegal transportation. Preliminary investigations by the police showed that the amount involved in the case was close to $10,000.
