A total of 262 foreign nationals, including 58 Thai nationals, have been detained in a major crackdown on online scam operations in Sen Monorom city, Mondulkiri province, authorities said.
The operation was carried out on April 10 by a joint provincial task force, under the coordination of the prosecutor at the Mondulkiri Provincial Court, targeting a commercial building suspected of being used for cyber fraud activities, according to a report released today.
Initially launched following a request from the Indian Embassy in Cambodia to locate Indian nationals, the raid uncovered a large concentration of foreign workers, prompting a full search of the premises.
Authorities reported that those detained comprised nine nationalities, including 135 Chinese, 58 Thai, 30 Indian, 22 Myanmar nationals, six Nepali, four Pakistani, five Rwandan, one Burundian and one Filipino.
During the operation, officials seized a significant volume of equipment, including 420 desktop computers and 1,450 mobile phones believed to have been used in scam activities.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the group used technology to target victims in Thailand through fake online sales schemes and in the United States through fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platforms.
Some Thai nationals told authorities they had been lured into Cambodia with promises of high-paying jobs ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 baht per month, only to be forced into online scam operations after entering the country illegally.
Three suspected ringleaders — two Chinese nationals and one Myanmar national — have been sent to court along with the seized evidence, while the remaining 259 foreigners have been referred to the General Department of Immigration for deportation procedures.
Authorities said investigations are ongoing to identify the owner of the premises and dismantle the wider network behind the operation, as Cambodia steps up efforts to combat cybercrime following the recent enactment of a new anti-online scam law.
