Thousands of foreign nationals were arrested in a nationwide crackdown on suspected online scam operations in July—some deported, while others await deportation, and many remain in detention at provincial facilities and the General Department of Immigration (GDI).
GDI deputy director Uk Heisela said approximately 100 individuals were referred to them by the Phnom Penh police. Some provinces have yet to transfer detainees or initiate immigration procedures related to the crackdowns.
“Currently, we have 400 to 500 individuals ready for deportation,” Heisela said. “We are working on the necessary procedures and will [make an] announcement on the deportation once we get a directive [to deport] from the Ministry of Interior.”
He said that some provinces have not transferred detainees to the immigration department’s detention centers as they are full, therefore provincial authorities are holding them while waiting for further instructions.
“At the moment, there’s no directive to implement yet. Basically, we are doing the best we can; sometimes sending 10 people at a time, depending on [the] capacity,” he added.
According to police reports, the foreigners who were arrested were from China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Taiwan, South Korea, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Philippines, Laos and Myanmar.
Heisela said that a small number of detainees were sent to Phnom Penh. For large cases, the department asked local authorities to complete the deportation procedures themselves, noting that Vietnamese and Thai nationals can be deported directly through the land borders.
He said that deportation centers have been designated by region: detainees in eastern provinces are sent to Phnom Penh, northern provinces to Siem Reap, and western provinces to Sihanoukville.
However, the department faces a setback. The screening of detainees for human trafficking is limited, despite the scam industry’s “reliance” on forced or coerced labor. Rights groups estimate some 150,000 people from at least 22 countries have been forced to work in Cambodia’s scam compounds, with the total reaching 350,000 across regional networks in Laos and Myanmar.
Sok Sambou, director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Department of the National Police, said that those arrested in connection with scam operations are not sent to his unit, but referred to the Central Security Department.
Kratie provincial governor Var Thorn said that 312 foreign nationals, including 56 women, who were detained during a crackdown on technology-based scams led by the provincial unity command, were sent to the GDI in Phnom Penh on July 26.
“Detainees from China, Myanmar, and Laos [were sent] to the immigration department, while Thai nationals were sent to the provincial court,” he said, adding that the Indonesian detainees are in Kratie on GDI’s requests.
“As for Vietnamese nationals, we request that they be deported through the Kratie international border gate,” Thorn said.
He pointed out that operations against scam-related sites are ongoing despite border tensions, with security forces actively pursuing suspects in multiple locations.
Svay Rieng provincial police chief, Pech Virak and Kratie provincial police chief Ou Sobunna could not be reached for comment.
Oddar Meanchey deputy police chief Long Sokun said about 100 foreigners were allowed to return after questioning by the authorities to verify their legal documents.
“We allowed them to return because they had sufficient documentation — including border crossing permits and valid work permits,” he said.
“We didn’t conduct operations inside [compounds]. Our action focused on guesthouses and rental homes,” he said. “They were simply staying in guesthouses, hotels, and rented homes — this wasn’t related to online scams.”
According to Sokun, those who were released included 72 Chinese nationals — 17 of them women — and 20 Vietnamese nationals, including 17 women. All have been instructed to return to their previous places of residence.
The South Korean embassy in Phnom Phnom told CamboJA News via email that the matter is being investigated by Cambodian authorities and are not in a position to comment further.
The other embassies representing their citizens who were arrested did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak and National Police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun could not be reached for comment.
Provincial police commissioners in Banteay Meanchey, Svay Rieng and Pursat were also not available for comment.
(Additional reporting Long Samneang)
