Cambodia has been conducting a nationwide crackdown on online fraud for several weeks, and although more than 3,000 suspects have been arrested, the core masterminds remain at large, making it extremely difficult for the police to close the net.
Under the directive of Prime Minister Hun Manet, law enforcement agencies have seized a large amount of key evidence and arrested thousands of suspects. The deputy governor of Sihanouk province, Long Dimanche, revealed that from last year to July this year, the province investigated 25 suspected fraud dens. Among the 3,215 people involved, about 2,400 were foreigners and about 800 were Cambodian citizens. Of these, 799 Cambodians were verified as victims, not criminals, with another 4 still under investigation.
The investigation identified 37 foreign nationals as leaders of the fraud gangs, including 28 from mainland China, 5 from Taiwan, 3 from Vietnam, and 1 from Indonesia. The cases have been transferred to the judicial authorities. Meanwhile, 324 foreign nationals were acquitted and allowed to remain in Cambodia, while 2,024 foreign suspects will be deported, including 1,049 from mainland China.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, Du Suka, pointed out that the fraud groups are heavily disguised, often masquerading as investment companies or tech firms, which increases the difficulty of identification and crackdown. In July, 11 leaders were handed over to the court, with 8 detained pending trial, but the core masterminds have yet to appear.
In recent years, the surge in cyber fraud dens and human trafficking cases within Cambodia has drawn international attention. The Cambodian government has vowed to eradicate transnational fraud groups and protect the rights of victims through ongoing judicial reforms. This special operation aims to completely dismantle the transnational criminal network and strike hard against the fraud industry chain.
The deportation of over a thousand Chinese involved in the cases is just the tip of the iceberg of a complex transnational fraud network. The operations of the fraud gangs are secretive and heavily disguised, becoming a "blind spot" for the police. Whether they can overcome numerous obstacles to pinpoint the real masterminds will directly affect regional security and the credibility of the rule of law.
