On November 6, the national police raided a Phnom Penh compound suspected of trafficking hundreds of foreign nationals for “illegal online gambling” operations, drawing calls for greater international cooperation and stronger action against the country’s growing organized crime problem.
According to reports from government-aligned media, the national police raided a fortified housing complex in the Sangkat Steung Meanchey neighborhood in Phnom Penh, where approximately 200 Chinese and Pakistani nationals were found.
The raid followed accounts from foreign nationals inside the compound, who told the police they were being held against their will, according to news reports. The foreign nationals are currently detained pending deportation processing, while the compound’s owners and operational managers are under investigation.
Although initial reports indicated that 200 individuals, mostly Chinese and Pakistani nationals, were found in the compound, local outlet CC-Times cited national police stating that 606 foreigners—including Chinese, Pakistani, Nepali, and Thai nationals, with 45 women—were “detained.” However, the police did not specify whether a formal screening was conducted to determine if the foreign nationals were victims of human trafficking, potentially lured into the cyber scam industry. Without such identification, they may not be treated as victims rather than criminals.
Sok Veasna, director general of the General Department of Immigration, told CamboJA News that he had just received information about the crackdown as of Friday and that authorities are still processing the matter.
When asked about the number of foreigners identified during the operation, Veasna said the figures were unclear.
“I do not know because I have not counted yet. Give us time to work, when we finish the procedure we will release the information,” he said.
National Police Chief Sar Thet and spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun could not be reached for comment to confirm the final tally of individuals rescued in the raid.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak also declined to comment.
Shortly after Thursday’s operation, Sar Thet ordered a tougher crackdown on online gambling and telecom fraud zones to improve Cambodia’s image and ensure a stable environment for investment and tourism, according to CC-Times.
Adding to the call for stronger measures, Minister of Interior officials reiterated a zero-tolerance policy towards scam centers and stressed the importance of international cooperation to tackle the illicit industry.
The assertive rhetoric from authorities comes amid criticism that the Cambodian government and state-aligned media have downplayed or denied reports of a surge in sophisticated fraud operations, while also stopping short of acknowledging the involvement of ruling elites.
The Chinese embassy in Cambodia issued a statement urging citizens to follow local labor laws and enter the country only through authorized channels.
The Pakistan and Thailand embassies did not respond to request for comment on the
bust or if their nationals were trafficked to work in Cambodia.
The Steung Meanchey sweep is one of three recent raids on compounds flagged by international media and watchdogs for suspected scam operations. On October 25, around 1,000 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese and Koreans, were reportedly detained in Kampong Speu province during a crackdown on a housing complex linked to suspected scam activities. Authorities did not confirm if any of the detainees were transferred to an immigration detention center or formally screened to identify possible trafficking victims, which would exempt them from criminal processing.
Additionally, on October 27, the Indian Embassy in Cambodia reported the safe repatriation of seven Indian cyber scam victims who escaped a compound in Poipet.
The recent raids coincides with the ongoing struggle against endemic trafficking in Cambodia, a problem that has led the U.S. State Department to rank the country at Tier 3, the lowest grade, for human trafficking response in its 2024 report.
(Updated Nov 11, 2024, 11:00 a.m. GMT – Added details on missing information about the screening and processing of foreign workers found at the compound.)
