Action was taken by local authorities on a human trafficking case involving Indian victims in Cambodia with the recent rescue of 14 people, bringing the total number of human trafficking and cybercrime victims to 450 this year.
An email from the Indian embassy in Cambodia stated that the exact number of Indian citizens trapped in scam compounds in the country is unknown. “The individuals often end up in these centers because of fraudulent agents or misleading advertisements on social media.”
In the latest rescue, the embassy provided specific leads to the Cambodian police. The 14 individuals are currently being cared for by an NGO working in coordination with Cambodia’s Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY).
The embassy was engaged in ongoing communication with Cambodian officials, urgently requesting the expedition of necessary formalities to ensure the safe and timely repatriation of the rescued victims to India, it stated.
The embassy said victims commonly reach out to the embassy and local authorities on their own once they realize they are trapped and the place they were in was a scam center.
To address challenges, the Indian mission has collaborated with local authorities to rescue Indian victims. It has facilitated the rescue and release of approximately 650 Indian nationals since 2022, with 470 of them rescued in 2024 alone, the embassy said.
It added that their mission has also issued multiple advisories, which called on Indian nationals who plan to come to Cambodia for employment to only do so via authorized agents.
“The advisories have also asked Indian nationals to thoroughly check the
background of prospective employers in Cambodia. We have also advised Indian nationals not to indulge in practices contrary to the purpose for which the visa was granted by the host government, such as seeking employment on a tourist visa,” the embassy added.
It continues to closely monitor the situation and is committed to protecting the welfare of Indian citizens in Cambodia. Indian nationals have been advised to exercise extreme caution in job offers in Cambodia and immediately report suspicious activities.
The embassy also said that the mission has raised the issues to the “highest level”, including with the Ministry of Interior.
The mission has highlighted several proposals to tackle the menace, such as setting up of a joint task force between both countries, and cooperation of specialized agencies of both sides in containing cybercrime, including online scamming and human trafficking.
From the Indian side, the mission has proposed the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) for the cooperation and a working-level periodic meeting between the embassy and a designated officer of the General Commissariat of the National Police of Cambodia.
The embassy issued a statement in May about the rescue of Indian nationals trapped in scam operations in Cambodia.
At the time, local authorities confirmed that around 60 Indian nationals were evacuated from the Jin Bei 4 casino compound in Sihanoukville. However, the police denied any connection to a crackdown on online scams.
Meanwhile, Chiv Phally, Deputy Commissioner-General of the National Police, confirmed that they rescued 14 victims and arrested three suspects on July 13 and 14, 2024. Officials continue to search for other foreign suspects in the case, he told CamboJA News on July 25.
It was a human trafficking case from India into a scam center, essentially a secret scam to obtain a job elsewhere.
On the “importation of foreigners” with passports into human trafficking in Cambodia, Phalla said some cases people should be educated about foreign employment, particularly foreigners who come to look for jobs in Cambodia.
“For example, in India, if we think that India needs to prevent the people [from working in scam centers] and be aware of the risk of overseas jobs, then the people need to be educated. This is a good thing,” he said.
He confirmed the rescue of 14 Indians and arrest of three male suspects in Phnom Penh, which was a collaboration between the Commissioner-General of the National Police and the Central Security Department.
The three suspects, identified as Dubey Abhay Nath, 51, Yadav Rohingya, 22, and Abhiranjan Kumar, 29 were sent to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, and charged for trafficking and illegal detention. They have been placed in pre-trial detention in prison.
Cambodian authorities continue to search for a network of 11 Indian suspects who have fled to India. Cambodian authorities are requesting cooperation with Indian authorities to investigate human trafficking networks in India and take legal action.
Touch Channy, spokesperson for MoSVY, said when trafficked victims were sent from the Ministry of Interior, his ministry would provide assistance and contact the relevant embassy to facilitate the return of the victims to their home country.
“We are seeking health services and a temporary shelter for the 14 victims through partner organizations. We then contact the embassy, so they make preparations to send them back to their country,” he added.
Am Sam Ath, operations director of rights group Licadho, expressed concern about human trafficking and cross-border trafficking.
He added that foreign media outlets have reported scams online, which was a matter of concern for Cambodia involving the enforcement of the law.
Sam Ath said Cambodia was in a bad position, especially with regards to drawing soft investment due to the safety and security of tourists amid issues of human trafficking.
“Relevant authorities must strengthen effective law enforcement, eliminate all forms of corruption related to human trafficking and cooperate with neighbors in the region to prevent human trafficking flow into Cambodia.”
It was necessary to cooperate with countries in the region to determine the identity of human traffickers and not have Cambodia as a human trafficking location.
“Relevant Cambodian authorities must be given more technical training to keep up with the modernization of human trafficking due to online scams,” he added.
Cambodia was classified a Tier 3 nation in June 2024, the lowest possible classification, according to the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.
It indicated that the government had not taken “serious and sustained” efforts to eradicate human trafficking and hold offenders responsible.
In September 2023, a UN report noted that Cambodia has shifted from a place of origin for trafficking victims to a destination where foreign victims are trafficked.