Around 1000 foreign nationals, mainly Chinese and Koreans, were detained by the National Police following a raid on a housing complex in Kampong Speu province, which prior reports have linked to suspected scam operations.
The October 24 raid came a day after a South Korean news outlet published an investigative report identifying the Kampong Speu compound, known as Mango Park, as a cyber-scam hub trafficking Koreans to scam others and allegedly colluding with local law enforcement.
On the day of the raid, the Kampong Speu provincial police posted on Facebook that they had worked with the National Police’s Central Security Department during the operation at the complex in Ang Popel commune, Kong Pisei district.
According to the National Police, the operation was conducted to “check if foreign employees at the location were being tortured.”
National Police Chief Sar Thet told state-aligned Fresh News that claims by the South Korean outlet alleging Koreans and other foreigners were trafficked and forced into commiting online scams at Mango Park and other sites were untrue.
Yet Cambodia’s cyber scam industry, estimated to generate $12.5 billion annually, is deeply entwined with human trafficking, with around 100,000 individuals forced into scam operations under brutal conditions, according to a UN Human Rights report.
Additionally, the U.S. State Department’s June 2024 “Trafficking in Persons” report ranked Cambodia last for its response to human trafficking, emphasizing officials’ failure to adequately investigate the widespread trafficking and forced labor of foreigners in the scam industry.
KBS News, the South Korean outlet that aired the segment about Mango Park, indicated that the number of employment scams and kidnappings reported to the Korean Embassy in Cambodia has surged more than fivefold, rising from 16 cases in 2023 to 82 cases involving 105 people as of August this year.
Kong Pisei district police chief Yang Sokly confirmed the raid on the complexes but declined to provide details, directing inquiries to Kampong Speu provincial police chief Khim Sokhai, who was unavailable for comment. Thet was also unavailable for comment.
National Police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun, told CamboJA news that officers are investigating the case but could not provide further details.
None of the foreign individuals rounded up during the raid have been transferred to an immigration detention center, General Department of Immigration Director General Sok Veasna confirmed. Most remain in custody at the National Police headquarters, according to Kampong Speu provincial police.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak was not available for comment.
The Chinese and South Korean embassies in Phnom Penh did not respond to email inquiries.
(Additional reporting by Tang Porgech)
