The Cambodian police recently launched a large-scale joint law enforcement operation in Sihanouk Province, raiding several parks suspected of telecommunications fraud and illegal online gambling, arresting nearly 500 suspects involved. This operation is one of the largest crackdowns on transnational cybercrime in recent years.
According to the "Cambodia-China Times", the Cambodian police cracked two telecommunications fraud parks in Sihanoukville over the weekend, arresting a total of 479 suspects, including 200 foreigners.
These foreigners come from various countries, including more than 100 Vietnamese, 54 Thais, 28 mainland Chinese, and 8 Taiwanese. Among them, one mainland Chinese and four Taiwanese were identified as managers of the scam parks and will be transferred to legal proceedings, while the rest of the foreigners will be deported.
In this operation, the police seized a large number of crime tools, including 8776 mobile phones, 804 desktop computers, 16 laptops, 36 passports, 12 data storage devices, as well as 4 short guns, 4 pairs of handcuffs, and 10 electric batons. In addition, the involved parks were sealed, and investigations into illegal gambling and money laundering were initiated.
The governor of Sihanouk Province, Guo Zonglang, stated that this large-scale sweep is an important measure by the Cambodian government to crack down on illegal gambling activities under the directive of Prime Minister Hun Manet, aiming to completely eradicate the online gambling and telephone scam parks in Westport. The police will continue to enforce the law in Westport, aiming to completely eliminate all network gambling scam parks in the area.
However, Douglas, the regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, pointed out that although the raid is a good start, the root causes need to be addressed. He stated that the centers of these scam gangs can quickly shift, and if the authorities only react case by case, these gangs will move their positions, and the situation will not truly change.
This large-scale raid demonstrates the Cambodian government's determination to combat online scams and illegal gambling, but it also highlights the complexity and challenges of transnational cybercrime. In the future, Cambodia needs to strengthen cooperation with other countries and establish a more comprehensive legal and law enforcement system to effectively curb the spread of such criminal activities.
