A total of 2,767 foreign nationals have been detained to date, including more than 400 women, in nationwide raids suspected of online scam operations, following Prime Minister Hun Manet’s directive on July 14.
According to police reports, the foreigners arrested comprised Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Bangladeshi, Taiwanese, South Korean, Pakistani, Indian, Nepalese, Filipino, Lao, and Myanmar nationals.
The mass arrests stem from coordinated police raids concentrated in Kampong Speu, Pursat, Kratie, Banteay Meanchey, Preah Sihanouk, Phnom Penh, Svay Rieng, Kampot, Koh Kong, Pailin, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, and Tboung Khmum.
In Pursat province, social media footage posted on July 20 showed hundreds of Vietnamese fleeing a compound identified as MDS Special Economic Zone — confirmed by provincial governor Khoy Rida with CamboJA News.
People were seen holding wooden sticks and iron bars while protesting in the street, with voices in the video stating that “the Vietnamese are protesting”. “They claimed that they were trafficked by the Chinese”.
“Yes, it [the raid] was conducted [due] to] that issue [online scam]. We have not checked, but they ran out of casino compounds in Thmor Da,” Rida said. “In the casino compound, there were nine groups, and [also] some problems regarding irregular or unpaid salaries,” he said.
Rida mentioned that 153 Vietnamese nationals were taken to the provincial police station for further questioning after protesting over unpaid wages.
MDS Thmor Da was alleged of human trafficking and scam operations by shuttered online news portal VOD, and international media Al Jazeera. The “city-like compound” is allegedly owned by the U.S.-blacklisted tycoon Try Pheap.
Provincial police chief Sar Theng could not be reached for comment.
On July 18, 2025, the Tbong Khmum province jointly launched a major crackdown on an online scam operation hidden inside the XAMAT Casino in Ponhea Krek District’s Trapeang Phleng commune.
Authorities arrested 448 individuals during the raid, including 144 women. Among them were 350 Vietnamese and 98 Cambodians. Police confiscated a range of equipment believed to be used to orchestrate large-scale online scam activities.
Two days later, Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged eight Chinese nationals for committing online fraud, which the court said was linked to a transnational online scam ring uncovered during a raid on the Dyvith Hotel building in Sen Sok district in the capital on July 7.
The court found that the suspects operated an online scam scheme using various criminal tactics, and produced obscene videos and images, setting up a studio for fraudulent purposes, and impersonating Chinese police officers to forge legal documents and extort money from victims.
The group also engaged in romance scams, created fake social media profiles, and conducted elaborate digital fraud operations to deceive and swindle victims, according to the court report.
Cyberscam Monitor, a regional watchdog trafficking online crime network, has identified at least 181 suspected scam sites in Cambodia, including Dyvith Hotel, which was raided in 2022, resulting in the arrest of over 200 people for alleged online scam activities. Several deaths have been reported at this location.
In Bavet, a border town in Svay Rieng province known for hosting online operations linked to well-connected elites, police conducted raids at two locations on July 18, detaining around 200 foreigners. The majority of them are Chinese nationals, alleged to be involved with human trafficking.
Chou Bun Eng, Permanent Vice Chair of the National Committee to Counter Trafficking, could not provide details as the working group is processing the deportation procedures of foreigners involved in online scam.
Prior to the raids, analysts estimated around 350 industrial-scale scam centers were active across Cambodia, generating between $12 billion and $19 billion revenue a year.
General Immigration Department spokesperson Sok Sumnea did not respond.
National Police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun and Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
