A translator who said she was brutally abused inside a building in the emerging scam compound city of Sampov Poun is demanding justice, accusing police of delaying action. Kandal provincial police met with her on Monday, following her appearance on a local media outlet.

Bun Sreytouch, a Chinese-Khmer translator, recounted her harrowing experience in an 18-minute interview with local outlet KFN Hot News on April 5. Visibly shaken, she described being tortured, beaten, and extorted by a group of seven Chinese nationals inside the Prince 4 building in Chrey Thom, Sampov Poun city, on January 26, 2025. She said her driver and sister also faced violence inside the compound. 

“I knew what I was going to face, they took me to be beaten. When I got to the room, there was a pipe and it was dark. I saw it and I was scared. I thought I was going to die,” she said in the KFN interview.

“I just ask the authorities to arrest and punish the suspects and provide proper compensation,” Sreytouch said. “Every night, I still have nightmares about what happened.”

A newly developed city on the border of Kandal province and Vietnam, Sampov Poun has rapidly transformed into a center of suspected scam operations. 

The experiences detailed by Sreytouch shed light on the growing number of online scam compounds in Cambodia tied to foreign criminal networks and raise urgent questions about law enforcement inaction, corruption, and the country’s vulnerability to transnational crime.

In her interview, Sreytouch said she had arranged a meeting on January 26 with a Malaysian-Chinese man known as Xiao-G, a translator that she said worked for the Prince Group, to talk about some work. On the date of the would-be interview, she went to the Prince 4 building accompanied by her sister and a driver. But upon entering the premises, her sister was verbally threatened, prompting Sreytouch to begin recording. That act triggered a violent reaction from the group, who allegedly used batons and handcuffs to detain her.

She told CamboJA News via phone that she had never previously worked with Xiao-G and that the meeting was arranged late at night because she was told that the group “only worked at night.”

“When they caught me, they handcuffed me and used a baton to shock me until I hit my head on the ground,” she said in the KFN video, adding that the group deleted photos from her phone but continued to assault her. 

She was dragged into a dark room, where the abuse escalated. After pleading for her release, she was forced to transfer $2,400 in exchange for her freedom.

The incident is just the latest to draw mounting public concern over criminality linked to scam compounds operating in Sampov Poun. 

Google Maps shows Prince 4 as being  located inside a compound zone in Prek Seong Village, previously reported by Radio Free Asia to be linked to the secretive and powerful Prince Group. The Golden Fortune Science and Technology Park in Chrey Thom—which is allegedly linked to the Prince Group—has seen reports of forced labor and violent abuse. Marketed as an industrial park, the compound is surrounded by high concrete walls, barbed wire, and guarded entrances, making it inaccessible to the public. Prince Holding Group did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication. 

After being released from Prince 4, Sreytouch immediately filed a complaint with Sampov Poun police, she said, and a few days later, officers contacted her to mediate a resolution. She said the Chinese group offered to reimburse her the stolen money and pay an additional $1,000 for medical expenses. However, she rejected the offer, calling it insufficient given the severity of the abuse.

Two hours after the interview with KFN was released, the Kandal provincial police announced on Facebook that they are treating the incident as a case of intentional violence. Authorities stated that they have formally filed the case and made multiple attempts to contact the survivors, but claim the women have been uncooperative—an allegation Sreytouch strongly refutes.

Speaking to CamboJA News by phone, Sreytouch said she had visited the Sampov Poun police station four times prior to speaking with KFN. She explained that she missed one appointment only because she was traveling and said that the Kandal provincial police never contacted her directly until after she gave an interview to the news outlet.  

CamboJA News could not reach Sreytouch for an update for her meeting with Kandal provincial police. 

Police chief of Sampov Poun City, Chhun Cheu Chhoun, declined to comment, saying this case has already been sent to provincial police. Kandal Provincial police chief, Chhoeun Sochet, declined to comment.

Am Sam Ath, operations director at rights group LICADHO, said the incident has raised serious concerns about Cambodia’s security and damaged the country’s international image. 

“This case demands a transparent, fair, and thorough investigation to prevent further criticism of Cambodia,” he said. “Authorities must uncover the truth and take legal action to deliver justice for the survivors.”

He added that criminal activities—mostly involving Chinese nationals—not only harm individuals but also threaten Cambodia’s tourism industry, deter investors, and jeopardize national security. 

Meanwhile, despite the public allegations made by Sreytouch, Prince 4 continues to advertise jobs. An April 1 posting to a Chrey Thom Facebook page remains live, offering a monthly salary of $650. While one user warns “scam company” others respond asking how they can apply.