Cambodian authorities arrest 65 in coordinated crackdown on international cyber scams

Cambodian law enforcement forces have arrested 65 foreign nationals in a series of coordinated raids targeting sophisticated online fraud rings operating in Phnom Penh and Kampot province, the National Police announced.The operations, conducted on Oct. 28, are part of a nationwide campaign to dismantle cross-border cybercrime networks.

In the capital, a joint force comprising the General Commissariat of National Police, Phnom Penh Municipal Police, and the Khan Chamkar Mon Unified Command, under the supervision of a deputy prosecutor from the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, raided a condominium in the city’s centre. The operation led to the arrest of seven Chinese nationals suspected of orchestrating a transnational romance scam.

Authorities seized a significant cache of evidence from the property, including five all-in-one computers, two central processing units (CPUs), two monitors, and 32 mobile phones. A preliminary investigation found that the suspects used fabricated online identities to defraud victims abroad.

Simultaneously, in the coastal province of Kampot, police inspected a compound in Bokor city, detaining 58 Vietnamese nationals, including 15 women. The raid on three flat houses, a villa, and an operations room resulted in the apprehension of nine individuals—seven men and two women—who were already on a law enforcement watchlist.

Evidence confiscated at the Kampot site included 63 all-in-one computers, two CPU towers, three monitors, and 48 mobile phones.

A forensic review of the digital material indicated the group was operating fraudulent online investment and cryptocurrency schemes through fake websites, targeting victims internationally.

In both cases, the suspects have been transferred to the General Department of Immigration and other relevant authorities for processing and further legal action. Police officials stated that specialised units are continuing their investigations to identify the masterminds behind the criminal networks.

The National Police reaffirmed its commitment to the ongoing national crackdown, vowing that “mixed law enforcement forces across the country will continue to take strict legal action without exception” against all individuals and syndicates involved in technology-based fraud. AKP